I will try to save you part II
by AsgardianHobbit98
Summary: The mountain is reclaimed and the new King and Queen under the mountain are working hard to make the kingdom rise again. However, a group of Orcs settles down north of Erebor who, for some reason, are attracting a lot of other Orcs who seem to want to kill them. However, the group of Orcs are the least of their problems as a darkness awakens in Mordor and stronger enemies arise...
1. Chapter 1, One Year Later

**Welcome to the second part of this story. For a while, I thought I would never really get around to writing it, but it happend and I'm really excited about it!**

 **If you haven't read the first part, it basically follows the Hobbit trilogy only with a little OC added into the story. I do believe you might want to read it through a little bit at least to understand this story. Also, I will be working on editing that story because that was so long ago and I like to think that I've become a little better since then at least :) But that won't affect any of the plot.**  
 **I was contemplating on how I wanted this to be. At first I wanted to have both the past and the plot of lotr in each chapter. So it would be first a bit of past and what happened before the trilogy, and then the other half would be the plot of the movies, but then I realized how confusing it would be so I decided to just have it normally.**  
 **Meaning, the story will firstly follow Nàin and Fili and the others before the lotr trilogy to sort of give some background story on the Dwarves and the characters I will add and to give some cuteness between Nàin and Fili. Also it will build up the plot I have thought out for the lotr part of this story seeing as we're going to follow Erebor and what happens to it during the fellowship's journey as well. Which I'm really excited about!**  
 **Anyway, I hope this story won't be disappointing to anyone and here we go!**

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Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin.

 **Chapter 1  
One Year Later**

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Sunrays cascaded off of the mountain, people filing in and out of it. It was an ordinary morning in Erebor, work shifts already having started for most Dwarves in Erebor. The mines were again up and running, which they only had been doing for a couple of weeks. Because of that, the flow of people that walked from Dain to Erebor was now bigger than ever. Trading had begun again between the two people and soon, the Elves would no doubt join as well.

All in all, it was a good time to be alive. Though the mountain was far from finished. The mines might be working again and people might be able to live in there again, but there were still incidents of collapsing ceilings and walls happening each week. Luckily, no one would get hurt as only the places that were stable enough were open for the public, though there was always the danger of one of the supporting walls collapsing, which would create holes in the structure and making more parts of the mountain collapse. It was still a work in progress, but the entrance, the throne hall and the first five levels of the mountain had been restored again, which at the moment were enough for the amount of Dwarves living there. Multiple jobs had been created when the Queen and King of Erebor had announced that, although there was enough room for the Dwarves at the moment, the rest of the mountain should begin being restored already so that they were ready when the population would increase or whenever more Dwarves from other parts of Middle-Earth wanted to move to Erebor. Everyone had been ecstatic about it, though there were risks. Placing Dwarves in those hallways and rooms was a dangerous task as those walls and ceilings were the most dangerous ones, seeing as those could collapse at any time.

The Queen of Erebor was standing on the balcony overseeing the main entrance of Erebor and the road all the way over to Dain. She was leaning on the railing, smiling at the sight of what they had managed to accomplish in only a year. It was strange how smoothly things had been going and all in all, it scared her. Not because things were going well, but because she had learned that life was never smooth and easy, there would be a bump soon and she feared it might be a big bump.

Talking about bumps, Nàin herself was sporting one. Though that was not a negative thing for she was expecting. It had come as a bit of a surprise as they both had wanted to wait 'till Erebor was safe enough for children, though when neither of them could stay away from the other, it was simply something they would have to take. She was excited about the day she would get to see her own, first child. During her life she had worked with children a lot, having worked for a Human orphanage as well as a nanny for several families. All those children had had a rough life which she and her colleagues had tried to make better. Though this time, she was going to give a child, her own child, a good life from the start.

"I grew worried when you were not there when I awoke," said the voice of the King of Erebor, Fili.

Nàin smiled, turning around to face her husband and immediately earning a kiss from him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled even wider, leaning into him and closing her eyes as she wrapped her own arms around him, simply enjoying the warmth radiating off of his body, warming her and making her feel protected.

Fili himself leaned his chin against her forehead, looking out over the view Nàin had been inspecting earlier. He smiled when he felt his unborn child kick inside of its mother's stomach, which he felt due to the fact that he was not wearing anything on his upper body and Nàin's stomach was resting against his.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "You just looked so peaceful… I couldn't wake you."

"Why not? I don't want to miss a single moment that I can be with you," said Fili, warming Nàin's heart.

"Because you have been so busy lately," said Nàin, shifting so she was looking up at him, no longer leaning into his embrace and instead having a worried glint in her eyes. "I can't help you anymore and I feel terrible…"

"Don't be," said Fili, gently putting his hands on her uppers arms. "I can manage very well with Kili."

"Obviously not," said Nàin quietly. "I've not seen you this tired since the quest."

"It's just been a lot lately," he diverted, looking away from Nàin.

"No, don't do that," she scolded, pointing a finger at him.

"What?"

"That," said Nàin, gesturing to his face. "When you look away while you say something you're lying."

"I'm not," he replied, trying his best to keep his gaze locked onto hers though failing terribly.

"What is it? Please, tell me," she pleaded.

"I heard somewhere that… That you had gone to see the midwife more often and I grew worried."

"Why? It's nearly time and I need to be prepared and checked so that I am as healthy as I can be," said Nàin with a shrug.

"Yes… But I am afraid, as are many others such as my mother, that your Rohan blood can make you… Uh…"

"Weak?" asked Nàin, raising her eyebrows. A fire ignited inside of her and she wanted to scold him for even thinking that about her when she felt another one of those awful pains that she had been visiting a healer for and she simply sighed.

"You're not weak," said Fili. "It's just that-"

"That's the exact reason why I've been going," she cut him off, causing a worried look to appear on his face. "And that," she said, pointing at his face, "is the exact reason why I didn't tell you. Who told you?"

"Ori," replied Fili.

"Damn… I shouldn't have told him," mumbled Nàin.

"No, you should've told _me_ ," insisted Fili. "I can take it."

"Fili-"

"I can," he replied, placing his hands on either side of her face. "I promise. Why have you been going?"

"I've been experiencing pains," said Nàin quietly, worried that Fili might overreact if she told him all the details. "The midwife says… Fili, you really don't need to know-"

"No, I want to know," pressed Fili. "We're in this together."

"The midwife says that the baby is… slightly too big for me… It might give complications during birth," she said quietly, watching his every move and expression carefully. "But that's nothing to be worried over. She says she's delivered plenty of babies who were too big for their mamas and I know I can do this. She knows it too. Fili?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," he said with a nod of his head.

"I shouldn't have told you," replied Nàin, watching his slightly pale face with concern.

"No, we're in this together," said Fili. "Like we've always been. I'm just as much to blame as you for this and I will not let you go through this alone."

"I love you," sighed Nàin, embracing him once more.

"I love you too."

* * *

Two days had passed and Nàin was on her way to her bedroom. On orders of her midwife, she had only stayed at the feast for an hour, knowing such feasts were exhausting and tiring and seeing as Nàin was struggling to hold the Dwarvish child, she was only allowed so much tiring work for one day. Hence why she no longer could help Fili in his duties as ruler of Erebor.

The past days, Nàin had told Fili everything that went on with the baby. She had told him everything the midwife said about the baby, both positive and negative things, and she had kept him informed of any pains that she might have. Albeit Fili now only looked even more tired and even more pale than usual, Nàin felt relieved to be able to talk about it with him. She had been able to talk about it with Dis, of course, but she wanted to tell Fili. They had no secrets about anything and it had been straining on her to listen to everything Fili told about Erebor's losses and gains while she herself needed to stay silent.

Kili had decided to walk her to her bedroom, which had surprised her tremendously. He had even decided to hold her arm when walking her back which also surprised her tremendously. The guests had been Dáin and his company who had wanted to come and visit the new and improved Erebor. The feast had indeed been tiring and Fili had, which he normally never did, on multiple occasions asked her if she was alright.

"Okay, I feel like everyone's treating me like I'm some sort of damsel in distress," said Nàin after they had been climbing stairs silently for a couple of minutes.

"You're pregnant," explained Kili simply.

"Well… Yes, but I can still walk on my own," said Nàin, making Kili let go of her arm.

"Fili asked me to look out for you," said Kili simply with a shrug. "I can go back if you want?"

Nàin was about to indeed tell him to leave, when a wave of nausea hit her, causing her to turn towards the railing of the stairs and throw up whatever she had eaten during the feast. It was not until she had stopped that she noticed Kili had held her hair back and it was not until she had noticed that, that her knees buckled from underneath of her, causing his arms to wrap around her.

"Nàin!?" exclaimed Kili, gently sitting her down on the staircase they were on, turning her around so he could look at her. "By Durin's beard… You look like death."

"Thanks…" she croaked, trying to stand up again but failing terribly, only gliding down one step instead.

Footsteps hurriedly came up the stairs and soon, Dis and Thorin's faces appeared in front of Nàin. Their voices sounded far off and she could not respond to whatever questions they were asking her as she did not hear their words.

"Kili, fetch Fili, now. Tell him she's gone into labor," said Dis.

" _This_ is labor?" asked Kili, earning a glare from Thorin.

"Go," commanded Thorin, causing Kili to immediately run down the stairs again.

"My child," said Dis, placing her hands on either side of her face, gently brushing away the wet strands of hair from her face.

Nàin was pale, sweating and completely out of it. Her eyes did look up at Dis and Thorin, though they showed no spark and no hint of her actually seeing them.

"What is happening?" asked Thorin, glancing at his sister.

"The pregnancy's poisoned her," said Dis, earning a shocked look from Thorin who began to help Dis to lift Nàin up to her feet. "I've heard of it before. The only thing we can do is to restore her well-being before-"

Water seeped down Nàin's legs and she let out a whimper of pain.

"Before she goes into real labor…" muttered Dis. "Hurry up!"

* * *

The Big Hall's walls echoed with laughter and singing. The feast was still going even though Nàin was in trouble and it annoyed Kili tremendously. As he opened the large doors to the feast hall, everything went silent. He briefly wondered why though soon realized it must have been because of the distressed look on his face and his wide eyes.

The moment Fili saw that Kili had entered the room, he, along with Balin and Dwalin who had been talking to him, stood up abruptly.

"It's Nàin," breathed Kili quite loudly, his words echoing over the large table, Dáin looking over at Fili with a worried glance. "She's… Gone into labour."

Fili immediately began to jog towards his brother, his long cape swaying behind him, ignoring the feast all together as his mind was only set on his wife's well-being. Balin and Dwalin quickly began talking to the guests again.

"This is a pleasant surprise!" said Balin, trying to not talk about the fact that everyone was thinking about; the worry and angst in Kili's eyes. "We will finish eating and then go into the great hall to await words on the royal birth!"

Exclaims of happiness were heard as reply to Balin's words which once again annoyed Kili.

"What's wrong?" asked Fili as they had exited the Big Hall.

"She-She collapsed on the staircase," said Kili. "Mother and uncle were there and they took her… Fili, I don't know what I would've have done if they had not come. I might have made things worse if-"

"Don't," said Fili, placing a hand on his brother's shaking arm. "They were there and she's safe now. Where?"

"They said she'd gone into labour… I doubt she did though. But it might have mean they took her to the healers," said Kili with a trembling voice, the two brothers immediately beginning to climb the stairs, taking two steps at a time.

As they reached the designated floor, they ran through the hallways, soon finding the correct door which led into the healer's office. There, much to their disappointment, they were met with only the information that Nàin had been sent to the nursery she and Fili had set up only a week ago. It was designated to be the room where Nàin would give birth and also the room where she and the baby would spend their first few weeks or months together. With a sigh, both Fili and Kili began to run towards said room, which was in the topmost floor close to their bedroom.

The door was unlocked and the two brothers burst inside, faces flushed from the running and their chests heaving. They both paused, however, as they saw and felt the calm ambiance in the room and the confused looks of those present. Thorin and Dis both gave the two brothers their signature 'you're kidding me' looks. The main midwife was standing next to the bed Nàin was resting on, the two of them looking at the brothers with their eyebrows raised.

"Fili? Kili?"

"Are you alright?" asked Fili, walking up to her and placing his hands on either side of her face, beginning to inspect his wife.

She chuckled, exchanging a look with the midwife who shook her head at her king; "This is the exact reason to why I prefer the men to stay _outside_. They panic."

"But – But Kili said – " stuttered Fili, pointing back at his equally as confused brother who was still stood in the doorway.

"Yes, I did collapse a teensy, tiny bit," admitted Nàin before quickly shaking her head at the panicked look on her husband´s face. "But I'm fine, Fili. I was lacking some minerals."

Fili looked her over once more, seeing her propped up on the bed with loads of pillows behind her back. The midwife was preparing a bowl of water next to the bed with some cloths and panic took over his heart again; "Are you-"

"In labour, yes," answered the midwife with a bored tone to her voice. "So I would prefer it if everybody but the midwives left."

Dis and Thorin nodded their heads in respect of her statement before they both headed towards the door, where a pale Kili was still standing.

"Leave? I'm not leaving," said Fili, shaking his head, a bit of colour returning to his face.

"Fili, dear, you have to," said Dis. "It's the way things go-"

"Yeah, well screw it," said Fili, earning several gasps from the midwives, none of them used to hearing their king using foul language as well as going against the traditions. "I'm staying with my wife."

"Fili," began Thorin with a warning tone to his voice though Kili cut in.

"Why can't he stay?" asked Kili.

"I won't allow it. There's enough to deal with due to this half-Rohirrim girl's body – no offense your majesty – and I will not have to deal with a fainting husband as well," said the midwife, looking sternly at Fili.

"Alright," said Nàin, chuckling. " _I'm_ supposed to be the one yelling around here, not everyone else. How about Fili stays until it is truly time? That way everyone gets at least half their wish granted?"

"Very well," sighed the midwife in defeat, before pushing past Fili, earning a look from the king, and walking over to her midwives in training, beginning to instruct them.

"See you on the other side, Nàin," said Kili, nodding his head before following Thorin and Dis outside.

The door closed and Fili sat down on the bed next to her, grabbing her hand. He glanced over at the midwife once before leaning down to whisper to his wife; "Is she always so… straightforward? She was talking to royalty after all."

"Fili," chuckled Nàin, shaking her head. "Have you already let this nobel-man thing go to your head? Anyway, that's the exact reason for why I chose her. This is not about someone that will do everything I ask her to do because of the crown that sometimes rests on my head, this is about delivering a child into the world and it will be painful and I will say things that I won't actually mean. Someone like her is the best option for it, trust me, I've seen it."

"Very well," said Fili, straightening up again. "At least I can stay with you."

"For now," said Nàin, before frowning, closing her eyes as a contraction hit her. "I have a feeling this baby wants to get out soon."

He squeezed her hand softly, causing her to look over at him again. Gently, he caressed her cheek, smiling down at her with an adoration she had never seen before in her life. Surely he had given her loads of loving looks during their time together, but nothing had ever been so intense and real as the one he sent her there and then.

She smiled back, lulling her head to the side; "What?"

"There's something extremely attractive about you," he said. "Especially now that you're going through all of this for me."

"For you?" she chuckled before gently placing their intertwined hands on her stomach. "For _us_."


	2. Chapter 2, A Remarkable Day

**Thanks for all the support so far guys! :D As a thank you, I'm uploading two chapters today :)**

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Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 2  
A Remarkable Day  
**

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Fili was pacing back and forth. The others were all sitting down, either on chairs or straight on the cold floor, awaiting any news or any words. From time to time, a muffled scream could be heard from inside the room, though it would be vague and short. Each time, Fili would freeze, go pale and wait for a minute or two before continuing to pace the floor. Some of the others had joined the waiting as well; meaning some of the former company. Bofur was there along with Balin, Dwalin, Ori, Gloin and Oin. Oin was mostly there because he was a healer and ready to help should he be needed. Those who were not there were most likely entertaining the guests or at work.

"Lad, there will be a path in the stone floor if you don't stop that," said Dwalin, looking rather annoyed up at his king.

Fili looked at him, his eyes wide. There was a moment of silence in which the two simply stared at each other before Fili looked away and continued pacing. Dwalin sighed, his brother leaning into him; "Let him be. He's worried."

"He's not the only one. But his pacing isn't helping me."

It was after his words that the noise which everyone had been waiting hours for was heard through the cracks of the door. It was faint, yet sounded as alive and lovely as Fili had ever thought it would sound like. He stopped pacing, much to Dwalin's delight, and stared at the door, slowly walking towards it. Balin watched his king with soft tears in his eyes while the others all stood up, happily cheering and congratulating Fili, who was still simply staring at the door.

"And so the line of Durin goes on," sniffed Balin before coughing, getting himself together as Thorin placed a firm hand on his shoulder, smiling with equally as much happiness as Balin was feeling.

The door opened, nearly frightening Fili who so intently had been staring at it. A midwife stood there, a soft smile on her lips; "My king, you have a son."

"A son!" cried Balin, clasping his hands together while Bofur cheered along with Ori and Oin.

Kili clapped his brother on the shoulder, not quite being able to grasp the fact that his own brother was now a father as it felt like only yesterday that the two of them were out in the woods, chasing each other with sticks while they pretended them to be swords. Dis softly placed a kiss on her son's cheek before ushering him inside.

"I will tell the people. They will be waiting for us in the Big Hall," said Balin, Gloin and Dwalin going with him down the hallway.

The others stayed outside as Fili entered the warm room, the door closing behind him again. With unsure steps and wide eyes, he walked over to the bed, the midwives still running around it, preparing the last things and covering certain parts they did not want Fili to see. However, he saw nothing but his wife and child. Everything else around them was gone. He felt like he was in a tunnel and once he reached the beautiful end of it, his life would change forever.

Nàin lay on the bed, looking extremely exhausted though not yet too exhausted to not sport a smile on her lips. Laying softly on her bare chest, was a little, new-born Dwarven baby. His eyes were a little red from the crying he had been doing earlier, though he had calmed down tremendously after his mother had taken him into his arms. One of her hands lay gently on his back, rubbing circles with her thumb while the other was extended towards Fili. He took it, sitting down next to her on the bed and staring down at the little baby Nàin was holding.

"This is… unbelievable," breathed Fili, squeezing her hand. "We…"

"We have a son," said Nàin, her eyes filling with joyful tears. "I can hardly believe it myself."

He diverted his eyes from his son to Nàin, looking over her once; "How are you feeling?"

"Alright," she said with a faint nod of her head before smiling down at her son. "It was worth the pain."

Pride overtook Fili as he looked down at his son and wife, his back straightening slightly and a wide smile appearing on his lips.

"Do you…"

The faint sound of sadness in her voice made Fili's smile fade as he diverted his eyes from his son to Nàin again.

"Do you think that our other child won't mind?"

For a little while, Fili was a bit confused about her inquiry. And when he realized what she meant, he nearly hated himself for forgetting about it. About their first child which they had lost a little after the Battle of Five Armies. They did not like to discuss it, much because of the reason why she had lost the baby in the first place; that very reason standing outside of the room, waiting to see his nephew's son. Though when they did, Nàin would always be very sad about it. Albeit she had not known about the baby, it had still broken her heart when she lost it.

"No," said Fili softly, placing his hand over hers on their newborn son. "No I don't think so."

The smile returned to Nàin's lips and the midwife quietly approached them.

"Shall I wrap him up in a blanket for you, your highness? I do believe the others will want to see him," she said, extending her arms for the baby, though Nàin shook her head.

"I'll do it," she said, beginning to softly sit up, letting the baby softly glide down her chest and into her arms.

"Your highness I-"

"I've done it before," insisted Nàin. "I can do it now too, with my own son."

Fili smirked slightly, feeling a bit content about his wife's persistence to do what the midwife's job was as he still did not really like her. The sour look on the old woman's face just made him smirk even more.

"Very well. Here you go," she sighed, handing Nàin a blanket, to which Nàin furrowed her brow.

"I chose a different blanket," she said, holding it in her hands.

"The king's mother gave it to me while you were unconscious earlier today. Said it was the blanket Thorin had been wrapped in and the blanket the king himself had been wrapped in. It would be only fitting if the king's firstborn son would be wrapped in it as well, would it not?"

Nàin smiled widely, exchanging a look with Fili who looked rather taken aback by the blanket, which he had never seen before in his life – at least not as far as he could remember.

"A king's blanket," said Nàin softly, laying her baby on her lap and gently wrapping him up. The baby looked more than content to get some warmth around him and only gurgled a little bit in delight, the sound making both the new parents smile. "Here, take him."

"Oh," said Fili, looking a little nervous as he gently took him from her, though finding it easier than he thought to hold the baby. It was as though he felt his nervousness and decided to take advantage of it, wriggling himself into a position he wanted himself rather than letting his father decide how he would hold him. Nàin smiled at that, gently placing her head on Fili's shoulder as she looked down at her son.

"We should decide on a name before opening the door," said Nàin.

Fili hummed in agreement, too occupied to bask in the happiness of holding the little baby in his arms, almost wanting to hold him for all eternity.

"I was thinking Fili II," tried Nàin, though Fili frowned at it, glancing at Nàin who chuckled at his reaction.

"No, Fili's a stupid name," he said. "I was thinking Thornoid."

"Thornoid?" asked Nàin, straightening up and looking at her husband with a raised eyebrow. "Where'd that name come from?"

"I read it in a book," shrugged Fili.

"In a book?"

Fili glanced at her again before sighing; "Alright. You were bound to find out at some point. I got a letter the other day from King Thengel of Rohan. He heard about your ancestry and apparently did some research. Turns out your mother was no ordinary farmer or civilian. She was daughter of a Lord of Rohan who served under the rule of King Folcwine, Thengel's grandfather, many decades ago."

"And Thornoid was my grandfather's name?" asked Nàin with wide eyes.

"Yes," replied Fili with a smile. "He fell at the Battle of the Crossings of Poros."

"Wow… And the _King_ of Rohan did this research just because he heard of me?" asked Nàin.

"No doubt he wants to become friends with us," said Fili before looking down at his son. "But politics can wait. For now, we have this little fellow to take care of."

"Indeed," smiled Nàin.

"Are you ready for visitors?" asked the midwife, her crew standing behind her, ready to leave.

"Yes," the both of them replied with a smile.

Nàin quickly closed her nightgown and pulled her blankets up a little higher as the midwives opened the door. The first person to enter, whom nearly knocked the midwives over doing so, was Kili. He quickly made his way over to the both of them and sat down on the bed as well, patting Nàin once on the leg before immediately looking down at the baby, which only caused Nàin to laugh as it was rather obvious who Kili cared more for in that particular moment.

"So tiny," smiled Kili.

"He didn't feel like it," joked Nàin, causing a blush to appear on both men's cheeks to which she chuckled again.

Thorin and Dis entered after all but one midwife had left, the old woman had to stay to make sure everything went alright and although she might not be the kindest, she was still smiling warmly as everyone cooed and awed at the baby.

Much to the baby's dismay, everyone wanted to hold him. Kili was first, eagerly having waited for Fili to ask.

"I'm going to teach him how to use a bow and arrow," had Kili said when he held Thor.

Dis has said nothing but incoherent words, having lost it at the sight of the blanket and her new grandson while Gloin, Dwalin, Oin, Ori and Bofur all praised Fili and Nàin for making such a beautiful baby.

"A true king, he will be," had Balin said, Dwalin having nodded in agreement.

Once it was Thorin's turn, mostly because he had been the last one to not have held the baby yet, he had seemed a little nervous. Though as Fili gently handed him Thornoid, Thorin had not been able to say no. Nàin watched as his eyes melted at the sight of the baby and a smile appeared on his lips which they had not seen since the day Bilbo had finally been accepted into the company by Thorin. That smile had never really returned for Thorin even after everything had settled down and it warmed Nàin's heart to see it back on his lips. It warmed her heart even more to know that it was his son which had caused that smile to return.

"What is his name?" asked Thorin, looking up at Fili who glanced back at Nàin.

"Thornoid," they said together, in unison.

Bells began to ring from outside and Balin clasped his hands together; "It has been a long time since those bells rang."

"Aye," said Thorin. "The bells of Durin."

"What are they for?" asked Kili, still sitting on the bed.

"They only ring when a son of Durin has been born," said Thorin, another smile gracing his lips. "Which is the case now."

The faint sound of cheering and clapping could be heard suddenly in between each of the rings and Nàin exchanged a confused look with Fili and Kili. Kili stood up, walking over to the window and gasping at the sight he saw.

"What? What is it?" asked Nàin.

"It's the city of Dale," he said, looking back at Nàin and Fili. "They're all outside."

"Aye, another old custom I have not been able to see for so long," said a slightly teary-eyed Balin, joining Kili by the window. "The city is celebrating the birth of the child. This is truly a remarkable day."


	3. Chapter 3, Secrets

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 3  
Secrets**

* * *

 **1 year later**

Fili groaned in protest as Nàin gently moved away from him, his arms falling down to the bed as she stood up. She chuckled at Fili's pouting face though tried her best to give him a stern look; "Thor will be up by now. I'll go get him and then I'll come back, alright?"

Fili sighed, nodding his head as he rubbed his hands over his face, trying his best to at least wake up a bit. Nàin simply smiled at her husband before rounding the bed, grabbing her robes from the closet and putting them on. With a last smile sent towards Fili, she exited their room. A guard was stationed outside at the end of the hallway who immediately straightened up his back as he saw his queen. She smiled a good morning his way before entering the room next to theirs; the small nursery.

The moment she had passed through the doors to the nursery, movement could be seen in the crib. She opened the curtains to let in some of the early sunshine and smiled at her son as he, although he almost lost his balance thrice, stood up in the crib and reached his hands out to her. Gently she placed both her hands on his cheeks, talking to him with a soft voice to which he smiled, immediately earning a smile back from Nàin.

He reached up to her again, this time his tiny little fingers curled around the fabric of her robes, pulling gently on them. Sounds came out of his tiny mouth which sounded something like 'ubba' and Nàin beamed at her son.

"Up? You want up?" she gently asked.

So far, he had not gotten far with speaking. Of course, he was only a year old and it was not very surprising. Walking was not something he had gotten far with either, though he was trying his best already and kept trying to stand up, though not getting farther than that. It was an adorable sight to both you and the others living in Erebor. So far, though, Thor had not gotten further than the hallways of the Royals, at the very top of the mountain. It was the safest place for him to be in as other hallways were still in pretty bad shape and could collapse, not to mention that guards were not situated everywhere and someone might take him. Also, it was the place where his family spent most of their time. Of course, both Fili and Kili would have to leave quite a lot, though the rest of their time, they spent up there with Nàin and Thor. Though that would soon also change as Thor was beginning to develop a true bond to all three of them, and whenever either of them would leave, he would start to cry profusely. Especially during the night.

Thorin, however, was always at hands along with Dis. When Nàin would have to return to her duties, they would take over Thor for a little while. Though she was not looking forwards to that at all. She wanted to spend the rest of her life taking care of Thor – the light of her life.

Lifting up Thor into her arms, she kissed his cheek to which he smiled brightly. "I'll always be here for you, darling. I promise."

He might not have understood her, but he still gently rested his head against her shoulder, his fingers curling tightly around her pyjamas as though responding with a loving hug of his own.

With a smile, she exited the nursery, once more greeting the guard who immediately straightened his back once more at the sight of her and Thor. Entering her and Fili's room again, Thor brightened up even more and started twisting and turning in her arms, reaching out towards Fili who smiled widely and sat up in bed. Gently, Nàin placed Thor in Fili's arms before laying back down on the bed, watching Fili interact with Thor.

He had him balanced on his lap, holding tightly onto his tiny hands to keep him balanced. In turns, the two made funny faces to each other and each time Thor imitated Fili, Nàin laughed along with Fili.

They lost count of time, the three simply enjoying their time together as a family. It was not until Thor had climbed down from Fili's lap to rest his head on Nàin's stomach while Fili gently rubbed circles on his back, that someone knocked on their door. They both assumed that it would be Nàin's maids who had come to wake their queen up – subsequently also waking up Fili who most of the time dressed on his own when there was not a feast. However, instead of Sillina or Jytina, Kili showed up in their doorway, already fully dressed and with a serious look on his face. Fili tensed up slightly while Nàin gently placed an arm around Thor, who noticed his father's behaviour and also tensed up.

"Brother, I need to speak to you," said Kili.

Fili glanced back at Nàin and Thor once before standing up – both Nàin and Thor following him with his eyes.

"Nàin," greeted Kili with a soft smile playing on his lips, one that Nàin could obviously see was only there to assure her that nothing serious was wrong. He averted his eyes to Thor then and gave a wide grin to the child; "Thor."

He waved at his uncle, who waved back before joining Fili outside of the room, closing the door behind them.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry, Fee," said Kili, earning a shake of Fili's head.

"Don't be," said Fili, offering a soft smile from Kili. "Did the scouts come back?"

"Yes… We've found the reason behind the deaths… Fee, it's not good."

"When is it ever good?" asked Fili.

"There's an entire Orc pack in the forest North of Erebor. They're far away and the don't seem to be moving in on us, but they seem to have… settled down," said Kili sombrely. "What should we do about them?"

"How large is the pack?"

"In the twenties," said Kili. "We could muster what we have and end them."

"We could… But we might lose men. I think, as long as they are not moving in on us, we should focus on actually creating an army first. Either way, we could need it. Are you up for the task, Kee?"

"Me?"

"Can you become my lieutenant?" asked Fili with a soft smile playing on his lips, already knowing what Kili was going to answer.

"Of course," said Kili. "And the Orcs?"

"Let them be for now. But keep an eye on them," said Fili. "Oh, and Kee? Don't tell Nàin."

"I won't."


	4. Chapter 4, Old and New Customs

**A/N**

 **Thank you all for your support so far :D It means a lot to me whenever someone reviews and it's really a lot of fun to bring Nàin back :D**

 **Now, I didn't really read this through. I will at some point, but until then, there might be some weird spellings and/or grammatical faults... Sorry about that**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 4  
Old and New Customs  
**

* * *

Fili re-entered the room with a smile on his face. Walking over to the bed where his wife and son were waiting for him, he sat down with a sigh.

"What did he want?" asked Nàin quietly, her son interestingly playing with her fingers.

"Nothing important," said Fili, smiling over at her with what he had hoped was a convincing smile, though Nàin could see through it. She could see through everything when it came to her husband and so, Nàin only frowned at him.

"Please don't do that again," said Nàin. "Lying, that is."

Fili quickly shook his head before trying his best to divert the conversation to something else. He was not about to let his wife begin to worry about those Orcs when they, at the moment, posed no bigger threat to them than any other Orc in the lands did. She had enough on her plate trying to raise their son while he was away because of his duties. He was not about to let her worry about that too… Not yet, anyway.

"We were discussing Erebor's defenses," said Fili with a soft smile. "I made Kili my first in command for the future army we are going to build up."

"Army? Well, I suppose each kingdom has one," said Nàin with a nod of her head. "Do you need my help?"

"No, not at the moment," said Fili with a soft smile. "You stay here with Thor for now."

He leaned over towards her, gently patting Thor on the back as he made a gurgling noise of happiness at his father approaching them, before he interlocked his fingers with Nàin's. Staring deep into her eyes, he smiled at her; _"Men lananubukhs menu…"_

Nàin smiled widely at her husband, gently pressing a kiss to his lips; "I love you too."

* * *

Much to Nàin's surprise, Kili had already managed to gather a rather large group of Dwarves for the army. Of course there already were some warriors who had pledged to keep being warriors for king Fili, but they were not enough warriors in case Erebor would be attacked. They needed more, even though they could easily just close the gates and wait the enemy out.

She had gone downstairs to the market earlier that day with Thor, Dis and Thorin. A lot of attention had been brought there way, many of the citizens having wanted to greet little Thor who seemed to have enjoyed the attention fairly much. At the end of their visit to the market, Thor and Thorin had found a pretty dagger which the salesman had given to them for free because of who they were. As Thorin, now carrying Thor and the dagger, walked away from the salesman, Nàin had slipped him a couple of gold coins anyway, to which he had seemed very happy for.

Now, in the afternoon and close to dinner time, Nàin had brought down Thor to the training halls. They were far away from the mines and far away from any unstable walls or ceilings and so, Nàin fought it would be safe enough for Thor. Staying up in the Halls of the Royals constantly was starting to take a toll on Nàin, and she noticed that Thor would go to bed much easier after an eventful day as well – meaning it was a win-win situation.

Carrying little Thor on her hip, she watched Kili stand before the warriors he had gathered, watching them spar together. His eyes roamed over them with a serious look in them, one she was not accustomed to seeing in the young Dwarf's eyes. Kili was always the joker and the gleeful youngling. Now, he was different and Nàin could not help but to miss the old Kili a bit.

As Kili raised his hand, all Dwarves stopped sparring, turning to look at him.

"That's enough for today," he said. "I will choose which ones of you I will take in tomorrow. Don't be late."

With that said, the Dwarves began to walk away, chatting and talking to one another. As they passed by Nàin and Thor, who were still standing by the door leading to the stairwell, they greeted their queen and future king with a nod of their heads or some respectful words. When everyone had left but Kili, Nàin began to cross the hall towards him. He watched her approach him with his hands on his hips, as though he was going to scold her for being down there.

However, as Thor reached out his hands to Kili, wanting to be picked up by his uncle, his features softened and he grabbed the little toddler from Nàin with a smile on his face.

"I should be telling you off, you know," said Kili as he began to walk towards a small door at the farmost wall.

"For what, walking around my kingdom?" she asked sarcastically before sighing. "I'm going mad staying up there all day… I need to get out. Dis and Thorin agreed."

"They agreed on you going down here with Thor?" asked Kili, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh… No, they agreed on me taking Thor with me to the market while they kept watch…" she mumbled, earning a sigh from Kili.

"Nàin-"

"I know, I know, it's dangerous," sighed Nàin before running a hand down her face. "Walls can collapse, ceilings can collapse – but I don't go where Fili has not told me they've fixed the walls yet. I promise."

Kili did not reply. Instead he opened the door he had been walking towards and led her inside of his little office, which she had not seen before.

"Fili told me you'd become his first in command," said Nàin with a soft smile on her lips. "I can't think of anyone better suited."

"It's a lot of work," said Kili, placing Thor on a table with his legs dangling over the edge.

"I don't doubt it," said Nàin.

"Gimli offered to help, you know," said Kili with a soft chuckle. "If people think I'm too young…"

Nàin smiled; "He's a good lad."

"He is," nodded Kili, sitting down on a nearby chair.

The office was rather unruly. Kili's desk was filled with scrolls of paper (no doubt filled with names of warriors he was going to recruit), feather pens, bottles of ink, daggers and swords. Luckily, the small table Thor was sitting on had no weapons sprawled over it, only pieces of paper which Thor was not interested in.

For a long while, Thor and Nàin watched as Kili wrote down notes and sqruibbles after each Dwarf's name on the various scrolls he had in front of him. How Kili even remembered who everyone was, Nàin did not understand. All she did know was that someone named 'Ungor' had not been qualified for the army of Erebor.

"You know," said Nàin as Thor reached his hands up to her. "We need a better name for our army."

Kili chuckled, putting his pen down and turning around in his chair, watching Nàin lift up Thor, bouncing him softly on her hip to which he laughed.

"Any suggestions?" asked Kili, a smirk on his lips.

"Hm... What about, 'Durin's Army'," said Nàin with a smile. "Or something like 'Durinators'."

"What?" chuckled Kili. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know… It just popped up in my mind," said Nàin before scoffing; "I don't see you coming up with a better name."

"Well," chuckled Kili. "If I do, I'll make sure to let you know. But for now, I'm starving and dinner will have been served already."

"Right," sighed Nàin, looking down at Thor who had been watching her intently as she spoke with Kili. "I guess we'll have to go back up again and wait for our dinner to be served… up there… all alone."

She gave Kili a side glance before clearing her throat, "Come now, our halls of solitude await."

"Oh, alright then," sighed Kili, rubbing a hand over his face; "But if Fee or _mother_ get angry, then you're taking the blame."

Nàin smiled widely at Kili. She had not been down in the Dining Hall for so long now and although the long table was always filled with loud Dwarves who did nothing but laugh and make her own thoughts inaudible to herself, she had missed it. Of course Thorin would sometimes join her up in the Halls of the Royals to eat his dinner with her, in peace and away from prying eyes, though that was mostly when he had a bad day with his Sickness; meaning he usually was not very talkative then. Dis had to be down in the Dining Hall for dinner as she was royal and needed to show her face during meals. But customs were that a mother and a _toddler_ was not allowed in those halls when a meal was being served.

"Dis is not going to like this," said Nàin with a smirk on her lips. "She's all about following old rules."

"Why in Durin's name are you smirking?" asked Kili, surprised. "Mother can be scary when she gets angry."

"Yes," said Nàin, the three of them exiting Kili's little office. "But I can't help but find it amusing when she gets all fussy about keeping to the old customs which all the old kings followed. Times are different now."

"Nah, that's not why you're doing this," chuckled Kili. "You just like to see your mother-in-law get all red in her face in front of people."

Nàin smirked, though quickly wiped it away from her face and cleared her throat; "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course not…" mumbled Kili with a smile on his face.

The three walked through the kingdom. One would think that the Dining Hall is not far away from the quarters of those who use that particular hall. Though it is. They had to ascend and descend numerus stairs and cross numerous bridges to get there. Though they were of the line of Durin and belonged in that mountain – which meant that they knew all the shortcuts and hidden doorways which the others barely knew of. The walk, in other words, took only five minutes for Kili and Nàin.

Thor looked completely amazed at everything he was seeing. He had never really been outside of the Halls of the Royals for so much as he had been that evening. First he got to see the training halls, and then he got to see all those staircases, bridges and secret passages as well. Once he got to the Dining Hall, Nàin was sure that his eyes would pop out if he kept staring so widely at everything.

As the guards opened the large doors for Nàin and Kili, the hall quietened down. Of course they had been expecting Kili as he always ate with them, though they had not been expecting Nàin and _Thor_.

As Nàin and Kili, as casually as they could, began to walk down the length of the table to where their family was seated, the scraping of chairs against the stone floor was heard as the Dwarves stood up to respectfully wait for their queen to reach her spot. She recognized barely half of the Dwarves who bowed their heads at her and her son, though she was sure she would get to know them as she returned to her duties.

Seated closest to the royal family was the former company of Thorin Oakenshield (all except for Gandalf and Bilbo of course). They all smiled widely at her, Thor and Kili. All except for Balin and Dwalin, who seemed slightly unsure of how to react to Nàin breaking the customs.

At the end of the table was Fili, who stood up as well as Nàin reached him. Kili sat at the corner of the table and positioned himself behind his chair, everyone else still quietly watching, still standing up. Dis was indeed red in the face. Whether she was embarrassed or angry, Nàin could not tell. Though she figured it was a mix of both emotions. Thor reached his hands out for Fili, who glanced at the Dwarves watching them once, before grabbing Thor and holding him in his arms. Bowing his head at Nàin who re-took her position next to him at the end of the table, the two sat down. The shuffling noises of everyone sitting down again could be heard and soon, the sound-level was back to normal again as Dwarves began to laugh and eat once more after the shock of Nàin and Thor joining them.

Thorin glanced between Dis and Nàin, a soft smile on his lips as Dis avoided looking at Nàin and Fili, eating her food rather quickly.

"I suppose this was Kili's idea?" asked Fili, balancing Thor on his knee as he continued to eat the meal on his plate.

"N-" started Kili.

"Yes, totally," said Nàin with a soft smile playing on her lips.

Kili fought against the urge to stick his tongue out at his best friend, side glancing once towards Dis and Thorin who were sat next to him.

"Either way," chuckled Fili. "It was a pleasant surprise."

"I was going insane up there, away from everyone," said Nàin, smiling kindly at the poor servants who were running around, trying to set up plates and food for Nàin and Thor.

Fili simply smiled at her, taking sip of his ale. As he sat the goblet back down next to his plate, Thor reached out towards it as if to do as his father had done. Nàin and Fili simply chuckled before Nàin moved the goblet a little further away from Thor, to which the toddler pouted.

A roar of laughter from down the table caused Thor to jump slightly in surprise, not used to the loud sounds in the room. Though he kept quiet, not seeming to be even slightly close to tears even though he had just gotten scared. Most likely, he was too curious about all the new faces to take the time to show to everyone that he did not like the loud noises.

Fili leaned over towards Nàin, whispering; "Mother is going to give you an earful later on."

"I know," chuckled Nàin. "But it's so worth it to be back again."

"Completely back or just for meals?" asked Fili.

"For now, just for meals. I'll take on my duties again in a month or so, when Thor gets used to this life."

"You're bringing him along?" asked Fili with a happy smile on his face.

"Oh, no, no," said Nàin. "I can't stay focused on my duties _and_ Thor. No, he'll have to stay with Thorin or Dis from time to time. But when we have meetings, just the three of us, I can bring him with us. He's a good lad and won't be in the way."

"I'm looking forward to it," said Fili, placing a soft kiss on Nàin's cheek before going back to eating.

She glanced at the faces of the company who were smiling, joking and laughing along with those family members they had brought with them. She glanced at Thorin, Dis and Kili, smiling at them and feeling a warmth grasping a hold of her heart as the three of them smiled and talked with each other. She glanced at Fili who was gently feeding Thor with some of the food the servants had brought forth for him, smiling at Thor who seemed extremely happy to be fed by his father for the first time. The warmth in her heart spread as she realized she was surrounded by only friends and family (and all the strangers on the other end of the table) and she knew that she indeed was not going to follow the old customs ever again if it meant feeling so happy and alive. Dis would just have to get used to it.


	5. Chapter 5, A New Adventure?

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 5  
A New Adventure?  
**

* * *

 **One year later**

The day's first sounds of laughter rumbled through the Dining Hall. Fili, Nàin and Kili were sat at the long table early in the morning joined by a couple of the what used to be the company. Gloin had brought his family for the first time for breakfast and Nàin enjoyed the company of a fellow Dwarfish lady, Gimli's mother. Back in the days of her childhood, she had been bullied because of her lack of facial hair by many Dwarven girls and boys. Though the girls were always the harshest and the most evil. Because of her lack of female contact – her mother was dead after all and Dis was often busy with her own sons – she was always searching for new female contacts. Though no one wanted to be with her. Now, she was a queen and had status. She had Thorin to thank for a lot of that as he stayed faithful to her father, who married a Rohirrim woman. Thorin was one of few who knew the reason behind Nàin's appearances and had taught his sister and nephews to not judge her for it. Because of this, Nàin and Fili found each other and now, no woman dared to judge Nàin for her appearance which also was the reason behind why Gloin's wife and Nàin could easily talk without there being any tension between them. Though the kindness Nàin could see in Gloin's wife made her doubt whether or not the woman would have judged her even if she had not been a queen.

When Balin arrived to breakfast, Thor's happy face faded slightly and he began to refuse to eat the breakfast Nàin was offering him. She sighed, earning a wondering look from Balin as he sat down next to his brother Dwalin.

"He's missing Thorin," explained Nàin. "Is he coming down soon?"

"I'm afraid not…" said Balin, a dark look passing over his face which caused both Fili and Nàin to tense up. Thor eyed them curiously, not quite having understood what they meant though understanding their body-language perfectly.

"Well then," breathed Nàin, flashing a smile towards her son and continuing to try and feed him.

"That explains why mother is not here," said Fili, exchanging a worried glance with Kili. "She's always on time."

A couple minutes later, three servants appeared clad in silken clothing and carrying trays. One walked over to Kili, one walked over to Fili and one walked over to Nàin. On the trays were letters addressed to them. The post had arrived.

Kili shared his letters with Dwalin, Gloin and Gimli; who all together worked to keep their warriors in shape and as a united army. Fili's were usually shared with Nàin which meant that they both felt rather surprised when Jytina, one of Nàin's chamber maids, carried a silver tray with a single letter on, addressed only to Nàin.

Fili's letters were forgotten as they both scooted closer to each other to open Nàin's letter, Thor watched them curiously.

 _Queen Nàin, daughter of Nàli, son of Durin and Gyva, daughter of Lord Thornoid,_

 _With this letter, I formally invite you to join myself, my family and our people to celebrate Midsummer with us. It is a grand feast we celebrate with loads of food and entertainment. It would by a great honour to us if you and your husband, King Fili, son of Durin, would join us in this celebration as the beginning of an alliance between our two people._

 _If you can attend, please send notice to us immediately so we can begin to prepare for your arrival._ _The feast is held in six months so you will have enough time to prepare everything before you leave._

 _With the best of regards,_

 _King Thengel, son of Fengel. King of Rohan._

"Interesting," said Fili, his eyes on the symbol at the bottom of the paper. "We knew it was gonna happen sooner or later."

"Yes… But, should we?" asked Nàin, her eyes glancing between Fili and Thor.

"I'm afraid we have to think about the bigger picture here," said Fili. "An alliance with Rohan could come in handy."

"Even if it is only for trading," agreed Nàin. "Dain won't agree with that."

"Then let him disagree," sighed Fili, leaning back in his chair. "This is your people. And because of that, I will not treat them ill."

A smile spread over Nàin's face as she gently pressed a kiss to his cheek.

* * *

"On the way, I thought we could maybe pass through Dale to shortly visit Bard. I need to speak to him," said Fili as he and Nàin walked over to the little group that had been prepared to go with them to Rohan.

During the past six months, Fili and Nàin had both spent a lot of time trying to prepare everything that needed to be prepared before they left. Leaving their kingdom behind was huge and it needed to be left in good condition and in good hands. Of course, it had been easy to find someone to take the throne while they were gone; Kili. Although he had not truly been too pleased as he already had a lot to do, he had still agreed to it. For the past six months he had stayed by their side to see exactly what he needed to do and how to do it. The people had gotten to know him a little better too that way, so that they did not feel as though their rulers left them with someone they did not trust.

Thorin and Dis would help, of course, and so would Dwalin and Balin. Gloin and his son had been left to take over Kili's former duties while Fili and Nàin were away.

Travelling with Nàin and Fili were a couple of guards chosen by Kili specifically so that both Fili and Nàin would be safe and have some back-up if anything were to happen. It was strange to Nàin to be wearing travelling clothes again. She loved dresses just as much as she loved the comfortable clothing one wore during a travel and it was not that which was odd to her. It was the nostalgic and slightly scary feeling she felt when she recognized her old self in the mirror. Wearing leather trousers, a long green blouse with a belt around her waist carrying her father's old dagger, a sword and a pouch of water – she looked so much like she had done when she had left Bag-End all those years ago. The only thing that had changed was the fact that she had a scar on her face from that one time she had gotten hurt in the Goblin Town, and of course the fact that she was carrying a child on her hip.

"What are you going to talk to him about?" asked Nàin as they approached the ponies and those who were there to travel with them or to say goodbye to them.

"Oh, nothing important. Just something boring about the taxes," said Fili with a soft smile.

Nàin nodded her head, not missing the fact that her husband's eyes would not look at her as he said those words to her, a strong indication that he was either nervous or lying. Thor pressed his face against her neck as they arrived at the ponies, his eyelashes brushing against her skin. The night before, he had barely slept at all. He knew they were leaving for quite some time and he had apparently not been too happy about it. Although he was close to Thorin, Dis and Kili as well, he was closer to his own parents and did not want to go without them for so long. Even a day was tough for him. Though Nàin doubted it would be tougher for him than it would be for her to leave him behind.

"It's okay, we're coming back," smiled Nàin, gently pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

He grunted, grabbing onto her even tighter after her words. She glanced at Fili who looked slightly torn between the idea of staying with Thor and leaving.

"Come on," said Fili, taking Thor from Nàin and setting him down on the ground. Fili crouched down before him, holding his hands in his own. Thor refused to look at Fili, his bottom lip out and his eyebrows furrowed. "Thor, look at me."

Nàin crouched down next to her son, softly placing a hand on her son's back, "Do as your father says, Thor."

With reluctance, the child looked up into his father's eyes. Fili sighed, remembering some words that Thorin had said to him a while back.

 _One day you will be king and you will understand…_

"I am the king of Erebor," said Fili gently. "Which you will be one day too. Right?"

Thor nodded his head.

"Then you need to understand this; I am doing this for the kingdom. Don't think I am putting the kingdom before you or your mother, ever. But you see, if the kingdom is safe, then you will be too. And this trip will help keep the kingdom safe," said Fili. "Do you understand now why we need to go?"

Thor nodded his head again. Though this time a small tear fell down his cheek.

"I don't want you to go, dadda," he said before wrapping his arms around Fili's neck.

Holding and soothing his son, Fili exchanged a look with Nàin who simply smiled a worried smile, gently combing her fingers through Thor's hair, trying to help and soothe her son. Dis walked over to the three of them, crouching down by Fili's side as well.

"Thor, dear," she said gently. "Your parents need to leave now."

"No…" mumbled Thor, burying his face deeper into the fur of Fili's cloak, a pang of pain going through Fili's chest.

"Thor." Dis' voice became sterner, a tone which both her sons had heard before and which seemed to help as Thor let go of his father.

Fili wiped away the tears from his son's cheeks with his thumbs before gently touching Thor's forehead with his own, gently holding the back of Thor's head with his own hand. They looked into each other's eyes intently.

"I will be back," said Fili before letting go and standing up. Thor turned to Nàin who opened her arms for him to fall into.

"I will too," whispered Nàin into her son's ear before they let go of each other. "I love you."

Dis picked Thor up, only nodding once at both Fili and Nàin, the look on her eyes saying more than was necessary and promising them both that she would take care of Thor. Kili walked over to them as they approached their ponies, taking the reins from the servants.

"Kildin," called Kili, one of the guards quickly walking over to him, his back straight and his hands held behind his back.

"Sir."

"This here is Kildin. I chose him specifically to keep the guards in check. He's got potential," said Kili with a smile. "Also, this journey will most likely teach him a thing or two about _not_ taking his job for granted…"

Kildin looked a little annoyed at Kili's comment, though Nàin still extended her hand out to him with a kind smile on her face; "I'm sure he's a great warrior."

"I am, your highness," he said, shaking her hand.

At his words, Kili and Fili exchanged a look.

"You all set?" asked Kili, dismissing Kildin with his hand.

"I think so," said Fili with a nod of his head. "And you?"

"No," replied Kili with a smug smile. "But I think I'll be able to handle it."

"That just makes leaving so much easier," said Fili sarcastically with a roll of his head.

"Be careful you two," said Kili, his eyes lingering a little longer on Fili as he said this though whether it meant that he was extra worried about his brother or if it meant that Fili and Kili knew something Nàin did not know, she could not tell.

"I'll keep an eye on him," joked Nàin before hugging Kili. "You be safe too, alright? And keep an eye on Thor."

"I'll keep two eyes on him," said Kili with a nod of his head, pressing his forehead against hers once before letting go of her and quickly hugging his brother. "Rohan is said to be beautiful."

"Pity we can't paint a picture and show it to you," said Fili, exchanging a joking look with his wife.

"Well… Actually," said Kili, glancing back at something.

Nàin and Fili looked over at the guards, noticing how Ori was stood there, looking out of place amongst the armor-clad warriors joking with each other.

"Ori?" asked Nàin.

Upon hearing his name, Ori quickly hurried over to her, his pony in tow. Around his shoulder, he had a large bag with him and sticking out of it was the feather of a quill.

"I figured this would be an event that would be worth writing down for future generations to read about," said Kili. "Somewhere down there, there's an archive waiting to be found and we have to start filling it up with new information. This could be the first thing we add."

Nàin smiled. "Not to mention that Ori can paint a picture for you to see Rohan."

"Well, that too. But that's just a coincidence."

"Of course," smiled Fili before looking at Ori. "Are you ready?"

"I am, sire," he replied, nodding his head. Although Nàin could see he was a little worried about leaving Erebor again.

"Well then," said Fili. "Let's move out!"

Nàin mounted her horse as the others did. She glanced back at Dis and Thor once. To her disappointment, Thorin was not there to see any of them off. Kili placed a hand on her knee; "He'll be alright."

Whether he spoke of Thorin or Thor, Nàin did not know. But she still smiled down at him before pressing her heels into her pony's sides, riding next to Fili out of Erebor and towards Dale, beginning their trip to Rohan.

Kili walked over to Thor and Dis, seeing how Thor was staring out at his parents as they disappeared from his view. A sadness could be seen in his eyes and Kili felt bad for him. There was a point a couple years ago where Thorin had not wanted Kili to come with them on the quest. It would have meant that both his uncle and his brother would have left him behind and he remembered the fear and pain he felt at the thought of that. Now, that had happened to Thor. Those he was close to were leaving him behind and Kili could almost feel the pain Thor felt at the moment.

A servant walked over to Dis, whispering something into her ear.

"Oh, Kili, dear, can you take Thor for a while?" she asked, handing Kili the child.

"But I have a lot-"

"Thank you, dear," she said before leaving with the servant, almost running away from them.

Kili sighed, understanding that it probably had something to do with Thorin. Looking down at the child in his arms, he smiled.

"I suppose my duties can wait for a little while," said Kili. "Let's head up and play a little, yeah?"

Thor silently nodded.

* * *

It had taken him a while though he had finally succeeded in making Thor laugh and smile again. Although he knew that the events of that morning were still wearing Thor down, the child was at least playing again. Dinner would be served soon and Kili had still not done any of the duties he had signed up to do while Fili and Nàin were gone. For some reason, he had taken it upon himself to make Thor feel better and instead take care of him and not the kingdom. Though it was only the first day and Kili knew that there was not a lot he had missed which Balin or Dwalin could not tell him about later that night or the following day. At least, he hoped not.

Grabbing Thor and lifting him up into the air, Kili smiled as the child laughed. They were both out of breath from having run back and forth through the halls of the Royals playing catch, though they both were having the time of their lives.

"Got ya," laughed Kili.

Dis had not returned to get Thor for the entire day either. Kili wondered from time to time how his uncle was doing, though the serious and heavy thought was always interrupted by the happy laughter of Thor.

However, their happiness was disturbed as a guard walked over to them.

"Sire, Lord Balin asked to see you in the Throne Hall," the guard said.

Kili sighed, quite literally expecting a scolding from the older Dwarf for not having attended his duties. He looked at Thor who was balanced on his hip and offered him a smile.

"Dinner will be served soon. I'll come and get you when it is," said Kili. "And we can both eat together. Alright?"

"Okay," replied Thor as Kili set him back down.

"Don't go anywhere," said Kili before leaving with the guard.

For a long time, Thor did indeed sit on the spot and wait for his uncle to return. Though he grew impatient quickly and stood up again, beginning to wander down the hallway. He was silently pondering on what to do while waiting for his uncle and quickly decided that it would be fun to visit Thorin again. He and Thorin always had fun, especially seeing as Thorin always had many stories to tell the young child. Stories of battles and of the Dragon. Or awkward or funny stories of Fili and Kili, which were Thor's favorite. Surely his uncle would not mind it if Thor spent some time waiting along with Thorin?

Reaching up against the handle of Thorin's door, Thor was filled with disappointment as he realized that he could not reach it. Pouting, he pressed his hands against the door and pushed with all his power. Much to his luck, the door opened and he stumbled inside of Thorin's chambers.

However, he was met with a sight he was not prepared for. Thorin was sat in a chair by the fireplace. His back was hunched over, his face pale and large bags under his eyes. He was mumbling things, his hands twitching as though he wanted to grab something he saw in front of him. For a child, it is strange, almost scary, to see someone they look up to suddenly being weak. That person is always strong in the eyes of a child and they can rarely understand that even those people can become weak and ill. For most children it might be because of illnesses. That was the case for Nàin with her mother. But this was no illness Thor had ever had himself. No fever, no cough… It was different. It was scary.

He began to back away, his heart pumping.

"Thor!" Dis' call shocked Thor and in distress, the child turned and began to run.

His grandmother called again, following him out into the hallway. However, Thor was too fast for her and before either she or the guard standing by the door had realized it, Thor was already outside of the Halls of the Royals, running down the stairs and disappearing out of sight.

* * *

Kili had been on his way back to the Halls of the Royals, his stomach growling. He had not been wrong when he thought Balin and Dwalin were going to scold him for his absence, though when he told them he had been trying to make Thor feel better, they had settled down and accepted his apology.

Now, Kili was ready for dinner and he was sure Thor was too. Though the commotion from a couple of flights above caused his happy thoughts about food to go away. Taking two steps at the time, he ran up the remaining stairs and arrived at the doorway leading to the Halls of the Royals. Dis was standing there with a couple of guards, ordering them to different places in Erebor.

"Mother? What's wrong?"

"Thor," said Dis, her hands resting on her stomach as she looked at her son in worry. "He ran away."


	6. Chapter 6, Same Stars

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 6  
Same Stars  
**

* * *

Not long after they had set off from Erebor did Nàin and Fili arrive at Dale. They were welcomed by the citizens they passed by bowing their heads in greetings while some of the women walked over to Nàin to greet her with handshakes and welcoming words. They rode up towards the large house in the middle of Dale where Bard and his family currently lived as Master of Dale. As they reached the stairs, Bard himself exited the house and stood up on the balcony with a warm smile on his face. The Dwarves jumped off of their ponies, looking up at Bard. Fili began to climb the stairs towards Bard and so Nàin followed him. Though the moment Fili noticed this, he placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning forwards slightly.

"I can handle this on my own," he whispered to her, surprising her greatly.

Ever since they had become King and Queen of Erebor, the two had done everything together. Though it seemed that after they became parents, Fili had become even more protective over her, keeping her away from dangers and seemingly also her duties which she wanted to do. Not wanting to argue in front of Bard and some of the citizens of Dale, Nàin forced a smile onto her face and stepped down, nodding her head.

"I'll be back soon," said Fili before climbing the rest of the stairs, greeting Bard with a handshake before entering the house, both men speaking in hushed voices.

Nàin stayed put at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at the large balcony in front of the stone house of Bard. He was keeping things from her. It would be alright if he returned and told her what they had spoken about, though she feared he would not even do that. There had been something in his eyes, a certain worry that she had not ever seen there before. Something was wrong and she wanted to know what.

"I don't suppose we're getting lunch here, right?" asked the voice of Ori as he appeared next to her, causing her to smile.

"I don't think so. Fili just wanted to talk about something with Bard," said Nàin. "Although I don't know what…"

A silence appeared between the two then. Most likely, Ori noticed the tension in her voice as she had spoken and did not want to ask any further about Fili and Bard's conversation. Instead, he shifted on his feet uncomfortably, trying to find something else to talk about with her.

"There have been talks about the archives of Erebor," said Ori. "People are starting to talk about it, wondering what could be down there."

"The first time I heard about it was from you this morning," confessed Nàin.

"The workers have begun to get further down now in the mountain. Securing parts that weren't secure. Soon, they'll find the archives," said Ori with a hint of excitement in his voice.

Nàin smiled at him, "I suppose there will be secrets down there. Records of our ancestors."

"Many say there might even be records of our ancestors in Moria."

Nàin's eyes widened as she stared at him in awe. "Moria?"

"It's a rumor and it might not be true. But who knows…"

"That's amazing," said Nàin in awe.

"You know," stuttered Ori. "It would be a great honor to all Dwarves if, maybe, someone would order a group of us to reclaim those mines… I know I would love to go there."

Nàin smiled again, "If I remember correctly, Thorin managed to drive out a lot of Orcs. It might be possible… Though, that might be an adventure set after we've truly restored Erebor."

"Of course, my lady," said Ori, bowing his head. "And… If I may ask… Would you allow me to go with them?"

"But, Ori, you've just had an adventure!" exclaimed Nàin with a chuckle. "Is one not enough for you?"

Ori puffed his chest out. "They will need someone to write everything down. All victories and more! For the archives, of course."

"Very well. If you wish this, then I will grant you that wish," said Nàin with a soft smile playing on her lips. "But have patience. It won't happen for a while."

"Thank you."

Fili and Bard appeared on the balcony again and they both descended the stairs down to Nàin, Ori and the guards.

"Your highness," greeted Bard, bowing his head at Nàin. "I heard of your travels to Rohan. I wish you all the luck."

"Thank you," smiled Nàin. "How are your children?"

"They are doing well," smiled Bard. "And Thornoid?"

"He's perfect," smiled Nàin, earning a chuckle from Bard.

"We should move on," said Fili, placing an arm around her waist. "Thank you for your time."

"Of course, your highness," said Bard, bowing his head once more before turning around and heading back up the stairs.

"What did you talk to him about?" asked Nàin as Fili helped her up her pony.

"Nothing of importance," said Fili, avoiding eye-contact with her. "Just boring stuff."

Nàin watched as he hurried over to his own pony, jumped up and began to lead the group out of Dale. This time, however, Nàin did not ride next to him but stayed behind him with Ori.

* * *

"We'll set up camp here for the night," said Fili, raising his hand and turning his pony around to face the group. "Kildin, set up a fire and prepare some dinner."

"Yes, sire," replied Kildin as he jumped down his pony, beginning to bark orders at the other guards.

Fili jumped down as well while Ori helped Nàin down. Soon, with the help of both Ori and Nàin, a campfire had been made and dinner had been served. The group were all sitting around the warm fire underneath a star-clad night sky while eating their stew. Luckily, the end of spring was a warm time and so none of the Dwarves had to worry about freezing during the night.

Fili was not around the fire. Ever since they had stopped for the night, he had stayed away from the group. He had placed himself a little off near a large rock, eating his stew in silence and in the dark. Nàin kept glancing at him. Although she was a little mad at him for keeping secrets, she could see her husband was clearly worrying about something that he was intent on keeping for himself. Though Nàin was not intent on letting him keep it to himself.

As she had finished her stew and listened to one of many of Kildin's stories, she stood up and walked over to Fili. He did not notice her presence at first, seeming to be deep in his own thoughts. A half empty bowl of stew was placed beside him and worry latched itself onto her heart.

"Fili…" she said, sitting down next to him and interlacing her arm with his, rubbing her free hand up and down his while she gently leaned her head against his shoulder. She felt some of his muscles relaxing at her touch and she felt him lean into her. "What is troubling you?"

"Nothing…" breathed Fili to which she sighed.

"Do not lie to me anymore, Fili. Tell me."

A short silence settled between the two of them before Fili began to talk. "Orcs have been spotted in the forest north of Erebor."

Nàin tensed slightly though kept gently brushing her fingers up and down his arm.

"I went to speak to Bard about it. He told me other Orcs have been seen trying to get to the forest. Though Bard made sure they did not get there. He didn't know why they were trying to get to the forest until now… Most likely, the Orcs are settling there…Why, I do not know. But I do not like them being so close to you and Thor."

"How long have you known?"

"That does not mat-"

"How long?"

Fili sighed, looking away from her as he mumbled; "Six months."

Nàin shot upright, letting go of his arm in the process. He quickly turned his head to look at her, guilt evident in his eyes.

"And you didn't tell me?" she hissed.

"I did not want to worry you! You had Thor to think about-"

She pushed him to the side. Not harshly so and Fili barely moved, but it was more of a way to calm herself down.

"We _both_ have Thor to think about. What made you think that you were the only one that needed to worry about the Orcs too? Huh?" she hissed at him. "When we got married, we promised each other to never _ever_ keep something from the other and to _always_ share burdens together. That we would become a team and work as one. Don't already break that vow, Fili, or I swear to you that your mother won't be the only one you'll fear to anger."

Fili looked down at his hands in shame, picking at his thumb-nail. "I'm sorry… I've never really felt this much love for anyone. I figured I would keep you safe if I did not tell you."

"Not telling me was not going to make the Orcs go away. But… never mind," breathed Nàin. "I know now. It's alright."

Quickly, he grabbed her hands. "I never meant to hurt you. Believe me, I never meant to break our vows. I just thought that I would refrain from telling you until I knew more. Until I knew why the Orcs were up there."

"Have you sent out guards?" asked Nàin.

"I have sent up some to overlook the situation. But there are many Orcs up there, Nàin… Many."

She sighed, shifting so she was in her previous position again, leaning her head against his shoulder once more.

"Kili knows, right?"

"Yes. And he will keep an eye on them. If they seem to want to attack Erebor, he will attack them first," said Fili. "He promised me that."

"Good…"

They stayed in that position for a while, both staring out over the laughing group of Dwarves around the campfire. Nàin's eyes flickered up towards the night sky, watching the stars flickering down onto the two of them. Her heart ached to hold her son, tell him goodnight and make sure he knew that she would return again in the morning when he woke up. She longed to be with him… At least, they were still under the same sky, able to look up at the same stars. It comforted her, if only just a bit.

"I miss him," said Fili quietly and Nàin tightened her hold on his arm.

"Me too…"

"Luckily we left him in the caring hands of our family," sighed Fili. "I don't think I would've been able to leave him otherwise."

* * *

The orange light of the torch in his hand flickered before him, casting strange shadows against the wall that kept fooling him into thinking it was Thor standing there. His heart was beating quickly in his chest, seeming to bounce against his ribcage each time it beat as it ached to find his nephew.

Kili had been searching for Thor for over three hours now. It was well past dinner time by now, though his stomach was no longer growling for food. The only thing his adrenaline filled body was aching for was to see those two, blue eyes staring up at him, telling him that Thor was okay and well and that Kili had not failed in taking care of him.

The others were upstairs, searching for Thor there. In the beginning of Kili's search, he could often hear the guards calling out Thor's name as their voices echoed down the hallways to him. Now, however, Kili was so far down in the mountain that he could no longer hear them. In fact, he could no longer hear anyone at all as he was now in the lower parts of the mountain where no civilians were allowed but those who worked on stabilizing the walls and ceilings. It was a dangerous placed for a child to roam around and Kili feared Thor might have gotten hurt.

Though, Kili also doubted that a child could have made it so far down the mountain. His legs were not that long yet and he only just begun to be able to run. Maybe he was wasting his time searching for Thor down there.

However, just as Kili was about to turn around, the light of his torch reached something that made his heart stop all together. Before him was a long, small bridge made of stone. It had no handles or anything to allow anyone to hold onto something. And below the bridge was a long drop down to lower parts of the mountain that not even the workers had reached. Though there, in the middle of the bridge, lay Thor curled up into a ball. His shoulders were shaking and he was clearly crying though Kili was not worrying about that yet. He was worrying about the fact that his nephew's balance was not perfect yet and he would have to waddle back over to him on his own. Kili dared not to step on the bridge as he knew the workers had not secured it yet. He could see little crumbles of stone falling down from the bridge where Thor was laying and he knew that the moment Kili stepped onto the bridge, it would collapse.

"Thor!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing against the walls and surprising the toddler, making him shoot up into a sitting position.

His blue eyes landed onto Kili and he raised his arms to him, silently asking to be picked up and held. Kili's heart dropped into his stomach, wanting nothing more but to comply and indeed come and grab him. Though he couldn't.

"Thor, listen to me. I need you to come to me," said Kili, dropping the torch onto the ground and crouching down like he had seen Fili do many times back when Thor had still been learning to walk. He held out his own arms, urging Thor to come over to him.

The toddler dropped his arms and pouted at his uncle, not happy about having to walk over there on his own. Rubbing his left eye free of the tears that were falling down his cheeks, the toddler stood up on wobbly feet. Kili wondered briefly how he had gotten there on that bridge in the first place, seeing as it was completely dark down there and the toddler could just as well have fallen down into the dark pit below, having missed the bridge as he ran. Kili tried to not think about that and instead focused on urging Thor forwards.

It took a long couple of minutes and a few gasps of fear from Kili as Thor lost his balance from time to time, though Thor finally made it into Kili's arms. He lifted Thor up and hugged him closely, inhaling the scent of his nephew deeply.

"Don't do that again," he mumbled, more to himself than to Thor. He knew that he from that day on would never leave Thor alone again, not until his parents returned at least.

He crouched down again, putting Thor back onto his feet and holding the little toddler infront of him. "Why did you run, Thor?" he asked with a soft tone to his voice, still seeing the tears running down the toddler's face.

"Thoin…" the toddler sniffled. "White face… He scaed me."

"You walked into Thorin's room?" asked Kili, earning a nod from Thor. "Oh… Well, Thor, he's sick."

"Is he okey?"

"Not really… It's a sickness of the mind, you see. Dragon sickness. Unfortunately it runs in the family," said Kili gently, wiping away the tears from Thor's face.

"I have dwagon sick?"

Kili stayed silently before shaking his head. "Come on, time for bed. Grandmother will want to know you're alright."

Thor was lifted up again and his little firsts curled around the shirt of Kili. He rested his head on Kili's shoulder while thinking about the words his uncle had said. Little did Kili know, those words and Thorin's face, would haunt the child for the rest of his life.

* * *

The star clad night sky was shining down on Erebor as Kili and Dis prepared Thor for the night. Kili had refused to let Dis do it on her own as she had suggested, not wanting to leave Thor's side just yet. Although he did not know much about which clothes he wore during the night, Kili still tried to help prepare the toddler. He did notice, as did Dis, that Thor was quieter than usual. Although they managed to make him laugh once or twice by tickling him, he always returned to a rather solemn state which they both seemed to not be able to get him out of.

As Kili gently lay him down in his crib, his fingers curled around two of Kili's fingers, his blue eyes looking up at his uncle widely.

"What is it?" asked Kili.

"Mama? Dada?"

"They're away, remember?" said Dis gently.

Thor's eyes filled up with tears again.

"It's okay," said Kili gently. "You'll be fine. You're a big boy after all. I mean, look at you. You're nearly too big for the crib now! Soon you'll need a real bed, like big boys."

Thor smiled a little at that.

"Also," said Dis before gently pointing at the window he slept under. "Do you see the stars?"

Thor nodded his head, looking out of the window.

"Those are the same stars your mother and father are looking up at right now. Most likely, they miss you just as much as you miss them. But as you all look up at the stars, you will know that they are the same ones you're all looking at. And that in reality, you're not that far away from each other," said Dis gently.

"Mama an Dada look at me by stars?"

"Yes," said Dis gently, smiling at Thor's eye locks seeming to become heavier and heavier which is passing second. Her words had calmed him down.

"Night night, mama," said Thor, waving up towards the stars he saw through his window. "Night night, dada."

With that said, his eyes closed and his grip on Kili's fingers loosened. Both he and Dis gently exited the room, smiling at the cuteness they had just observed.

* * *

 **Don't forget to let me know what you thought by reviewing! :) Also, I'm super emotional at the moment and started crying at the end of this bc I could see a little toddler waving up at the skies as though he had just lost his parents and was waving at their spirits and omg... So emotional... But Fili and Nàin aren't dead :P That's just a picture I had in my mind.**


	7. Chapter 7, Rohan

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 7  
Rohan  
**

* * *

Breakfast was eaten early in the morning when the sky was still a mix of orange and pink. The circular ball of light that was the sun was not yet visible yet when they headed out on their ponies once more. Nàin and Fili rode together at the front while the rest of the group rode in the back. Late last night, when the fire was starting to die out and the star light was all that was left to shine over the group of Dwarves sleeping, Nàin and been awoken from her slumber by Fili turning in his sleep, his arm draping over her underneath of the blanket. Her eyes had landed on a small figure still sitting by the fire, a book and a pencil in his hands. He was close to falling into the still sizzling ashes of the fire while he tried to use whatever light the ashes could provide him, writing down words furiously in his book. In the morning, Nàin had found Ori asleep by those very ashes, the book and pencil resting on his chest.

She glanced back at the Dwarf behind her. On their previous quest to reclaim Erebor, the little Dwarf had sort of been taken for granted. He had not much experience with swords or axes nor did he seem to have gotten any more after the quest was done. During the battle of the Five Armies, Nàin had not been focused on Ori. Though she had heard afterwards that he had kept close to his brothers, slaying a few Orcs on his own. His task then had been to write down everything he could about the quest for later generations to read. The same was his task now and the same would his task be in the future when he was sent to Moria. Though her heart felt heavy at the thought of sending him there. He had seemed so eager to go when they had talked that she could not have said no to him. But now, she regretted her decision of agreeing with his promise. What if he got hurt? Moria was, from what she knew, a dangerous place…

"What are you thinking about?" asked Fili, interrupting her thoughts.

"Moria…" she breathed before she could stop herself, not having wanted to burden her husband with thoughts of that place until after Rohan.

"Moria? Why?" he asked, furrowing his brow together in confusion.

Her pony made a funny noise, shaking her head around. Nàin glanced down at her pony, almost thinking she had heard the name and reacted to it, knowing something Nàin did not.

"Ori talked about it," said Nàin. "He made me promise that, if we ever reclaim that place, he would be allowed to help reclaim it."

"Ori?" asked Fili, glancing back at said Dwarf who was lost in his own thoughts at the back of the group, not noticing his king looking at him. "Did he say why he wanted to go there?"

Nàin stiffened as she realized she did not have the best of answer to that question. He had told her that he wanted to write it down for the Archives. But she had asked no further questions about why he was so intent on being the one to fill the archives with all their new adventures. She told Fili this, and he nodded his head, looking ahead of him once more.

"All Dwarves work for something, strive for something. Perhaps this is simply Ori's passion," said Fili.

"Perhaps… But Moria is dangerous," said Nàin. "I would never willingly set out Dwarves to that place."

"I have heard many people talk about Moria," said Fili. "Gloin did once. And Balin and Dwalin discuss it many times. Each time, I notice uncle stiffen I try to silence them or change the subject. But there's this strange fire in Balin's eyes, or even Gloin's eyes whenever the subject of Moria comes up. Once Erebor is restored, I doubt we can keep them away from that place."

Nàin sighed, hearing what she dreaded the most, "I suppose not…"

They arrived at a burned down harbor, a small cottage next to it that was stood just by the river. Two men exited the cottage upon their arrival, ones taking the ponies from the Dwarves while the other led them over to the boats. Crossing the lake was no problem nowadays. But for Nàin, Fili and Ori, it was different. It was an emotional rollercoaster for them to be so close to Laketown again, knowing that many people died when the dragon was sent there.

For it was in the old ruins of Laketown that they were, just in the outskirts of what it used to be. To their left, they could see the outlines of the city's burned down foundations. Somewhere in the middle of that place was the skeleton of Smaug along with the riches of Laketown. Though no one had set foot in those ruins since the day it was abandoned and burned down. Tales were told from those who lived close-by of cries being heard in the middle of the night and small fires being seen dancing in the ruins of the town. It was haunted, according to many. Haunted by the spirits of those who did not get the chance to leave; by those who had been murdered by Smaug.

Nàin shivered as she looked away from the ruins. It was past midday and she was glad it was not nighttime – or else she might have seen what others had seen. Perhaps those spirits were even more angry with the Dwarves then others, which would have meant that they would have gone after her and her fellow travelers. The thought scared her.

"Ponies can be hired on the other side of the lake," said the man providing them with two boats lazily. One of his eyes looked scary, his eyelid drooping and looking asthough he had been hit several times. He waggled forwards on a painful leg, though seemed happy and untouched by his uncomfortable body.

"How much for the boats?" asked Fili.

"Nothing for you, sire," the man said simply.

Fili exchanged a look with Nàin which she immediately recognized. He walked over to the man and dropped a small pouch of gold into the man's hand, looking up at him with a serious look on his face, "I suppose that will cover it."

Saying nothing else, Fili walked over to the boats, beginning to prepare them along with the guards. Ori and Nàin stayed by the man, watching as he with shaking hands looked down into the pouch. From the way he swayed on the spot, Nàin and Ori deduced he had never gotten so much gold in his life and she smiled a soft smile at him when he looked over at them, tears visible in his eyes.

"Take care of the ponies for us," she said kindly. "We'll be heading back in a couple of months."

The man nodded his head, speechless, while Fili gently helped Nàin into the boat that he, Nàin, Ori and Kildin would share, while the other guards shared the second boat. She glanced back once at the man as the second man, which seemed to be his son by the age-gap between them, looked down into the pouch as well. The happiness and shock that was visible in their eyes made Nàin smile once more before she turned her head to look forwards, Kildin and Ori rowing on.

The lake was calm with barely any waves or ripples on the surface of the water. Nàin leaned down on the side of the boat, letting her fingertips brush against the surface of the water. It was freezing cold, though she enjoyed watching the way the surface reacted to her fingers' touch. Small ripples seemed to run away from her fingers while the water itself engulfed her fingers happily. It was her husband's words which caused her straighten back up again.

"Do you think he's okay?"

He was glancing back at where they had come from. There, far away, Erebor could be seen. She remembered the first time she had seen it from so far away. The company had been on Bard's boat and the sight of their home finally being so close-by had been amazing. Now, she felt saddened to see it so far away from her, to be leaving.

"Thor is fine," said Nàin, grasping his hand. "Kili promised to take care of him, Dis promised to take care of him, Thorin promised to take care of him… even Balin and Dwalin were going to keep an eye on him. He's in good hands."

Fili nodded, squeezing her hand before his eyes landed on her. There was something in them, a beacon of light which she had not seen there before. She raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what he was thinking about.

"Can you believe," he said, lifting his hand and gently letting his fingertips brush over the braid in her hair which represented her being his, "that this is where I asked you to be mine?"

Nàin smiled, her eyes fluttering over to the ruins of Laketown which they were still passing by.

"It still seems like a dream sometimes," she said, relishing in the feel of his fingers in her hair. "But I never wake up. You're always still by my side. It's amazing."

"You're amazing," he said gently, letting his fingers fall down to her cheek, following the outlines of her cheekbones. He leaned over to her ear, his lips brushing against her skin as he whispered, "When we arrive in Rohan, and we finally have a bedroom on our own…"

It was enough to make her blush and take in a deep breath, trying her best to hold back the fire his words ignited inside of her. The whisper against her ear sent shivers down her spine and his words only intensified those shivers, causing a small sound to leave the back of her throat. Even after two years, this man next to her still managed to make her feel flustered whenever he spoke that way.

A soft cough was heard from behind them, causing both Fili and Nàin to look back. They saw Kildin awkwardly look away and could not hold in their laughter at the flustered look in his eyes.

* * *

 **Two months later**

Rohan was not as grand as Erebor, in Nàin's opinion. They had travelled through their lands for the past couple of weeks and met many villages and villages, all who looked poor in comparison to Dwarven villages. As they arrived in Edoras, the capital of Rohan and the closest thing to a city that Rohan had. It was built on a hill, the city itself surrounded by walls made of wood. It was not protected well, in other words, against foes though Nàin figured there was a different place that the city's people were moved to if there would ever be a war.

The Dwarves entered the city after two guards opened the gates for them. Seeing as the King was expecting Dwarves to arrive for the mid-summer festival, the guards allowed them entrance immediately, not even asking for who they were or why they were there. Dwarves were not easily mistaken due to their height and chubby looks, after all. Though Nàin could not help but think the city was poorly defended against enemies. Nàin knew that her guards would have still asked them what they were there for and not allowed them entrance until someone else had come to truly make sure they were expected. Then again, the entire kingdom looked different back in Erebor. Allowing someone to enter to visit the King and Queen of Erebor, would mean that one allowed them to enter the entire kingdom. Were they a threat, the citizens of Erebor would be in danger, and so safety looked a little different in Erebor then it did in Rohan.

Some of the city's people walked over to the path the Dwarves were riding on. It led up towards the top of the hill where a large mansion could be seen. A guard of Edoras was walking next to them in silence and considering he did not protest when the Dwarves rode up towards the mansion, they assumed that was where the King of Rohan resided. The citizens were quiet and watched the Dwarves with interested and mistrustful looks in their eyes. Though none made their way over to them to greet them, which did not surprise either Nàin or Fili as they were unfamiliar with each other.

However the silence of the city made Nàin feel a little uncomfortable. She had been excited about seeing her homeland, though Rohan was different from what she had thought it was. It was not as grand as Men had told her it was and if it was, in their eyes, then Men truly were a different race from Dwarves because this city was not what either of the travelers would have called "grand".

Far off inside one of the houses, a baby could be heard crying, though apart from that and their ponies' hooves hitting the gravel path beneath them, silence was all they heard. Fili and Nàin exchanged a look at the silence, feeling rather unwelcomed. It was not until they had dismounted their ponies, whom were given to one of the Men caring for the very famous stables of Rohan (something Nàin had promised herself she would visit while she was there), that a horn was heard to greet them. At the top of the steps leading up to the mansion, the royal family and some warriors exited the mansion and began walking down the steps.

Thengel, the sixteenth King of Rohan, greeted them with a wide smile on his lips and open arms. He clasped his hands around Fili's outstretched one, eagerly shaking his hand.

"King Fili of Erebor, son of Durin – I welcome you to my humble kingdom," said Thengel, some of the citizens watching from afar. "And Nàin…"

He let go of Fili, his eyes landing on Nàin as he moved one step to the left, "Beautiful daughter of Rohan… I welcome you home."

She bowed her head at him, "Thank you, my lord Thengel. It is an honor to finally meet you and to able to thank you in person for the little bit of information you managed to gather about my grandfather."

"Ah, yes, lord Thornoid," said Thengel with a nod of his head. "Truly an interesting man."

A soft cough was heard from behind Thengel from one of those who had followed him down the steps to greet the Dwarves. A woman walked over to stand next to Thengel, two children clinging to her skirts.

"This is my wife, Queen Morven of Lossarnach," said Thengel. "And my beautiful children, Theodwyn and Theoden."

Nàin did not miss the roundness of the Queen's belly nor did she miss the children's curious eyes as they looked at Fili and her, never having seen Dwarves before in their life. They were young, around the age of Thor though looking much older than Thor as Men and Dwarves aged differently – something Nàin had learned during her time as Nanny a long time ago.

"And, of course, my best warrior," said Thengel, "And close friend. Thorongil."

The young man mentioned, took a step forwards, his eyes burning into Nàin's. He gently grasped her hand and, bowing, placed a kiss to her knuckles.

"My lady," he greeted.

His blue eyes held secrets. Many secrets. One of which seemed to be about her. Her eyes drifted down to her hand which he still held in his. Something cold was pressed against her fingers and she noticed a ring on his own finger. It was silver and looked like two serpents meeting together, their eyes made out of green rubies. Above the snake's was a golden crown…

Something about the ring was familiar to her. Though she could not put her finger on what it was…

* * *

 **Just realized I've messed up the time-line, but if I don't mention any years, no one will know :P :P oops... Anyway! Ten points to whoever can point out who Thorongil is! :)**


	8. Chapter 8, Thorongil

**Ten points to animexchick who remembered correctly who Thorongil is. Thorongil is one of the many names Aragorn has, and its the name he used while helping Gondor and Rohan. :)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 8  
Thorongil  
**

* * *

They were silently standing in the middle of the room that had just been given to them. The other Dwarves all had their own rooms next to Nàin and Fili and they were just down the hallway – a hallway Nàin suspected was meant for the guests.

After everyone had been introduced to each other, they had all walked up the steps to the mansion and sat down for supper. It had been nothing like any Dwarven meal had ever looked like; supper had been served by several female servants and the food itself had been eaten in silence; a silence only broken a few times when King Thengel asked a question or told the Dwarves about something he had 'simply been dying to tell them'. Dwarven supper's were never quiet…

King Thengel… The man was an odd fellow, not seeming to belong on a throne at all. He was neither dressed as a king nor did he behave like one. Not that Fili or Nàin behaved much more like a king or a queen, but at least they had the aura around them that told people they were important – they could switch their importance on and off. Thengel seemed to always have it off and Nàin found it hard to take him seriously. His wife seemed to hate being in the large dining hall, the woman not wearing very lady-like clothing either. The only thing she had seemed to care about were her children and how much food they ate.

After supper, the Dwarves had been shown to their rooms by a servant, the king and queen staying in their seats. Before the Dwarves had rounded a corner leading away from the dining hall, Nàin had glanced back and seen Thengel leaning his elbows on the table, covering his face while his wife stared out into the nothingness in front of her. Nàin felt saddened for the children who had to sit there and see their parents behave like that.

Now, Nàin and Fili were standing in their large room, taking in the details and the furniture silently. To their left, the room was decorated as a bathroom, shelves filled with oils and salts to put in the water of the bath-tub positioned in the middle of the floor. Several towels were laid out underneath of the shelves while a basket, most likely meant for the used towels, was positioned next to it. Drapes the colour of an old lady's dress hung in front of each of the windows, shielding the room from the moonlight shining down over Rohan outside.

To their right, a large bed stood. Several blankets were sprawled out on it along with several pillows. It was nothing like Fili and Nàin's bed. For them, the bed was large enough to hold at least four fully grown Dwarves. From the amount of blankets prepared for them, Nàin assumed the Rohirrim people were not used to chilly nights.

A heartfelt thought entered Nàin's mind in which she imagined herself, Fili and their future children all sharing that one, giant bed and she smiled.

"Well…" said Fili, walking over to the bed, his hand feeling the fabrics of one of the many blankets there. "At least we're comfortable here."

"Did you notice how he didn't want to talk about my grandfather?" asked Nàin, pouting slightly.

Fili sighed, looking over at his wife with sympathetic eyes, "I suppose he wants to wait until later… I hope…"

Nàin sighed, looking down at the floor infront of her and noticing the ugly carpet the Rohirrim had placed in the room.

"Hey," he gently said, suddenly appearing in front of her and gently placing his hands on her upper arms. "He'll tell us more. He's seems a bit… odd. I'm sure he'll be more talkative later on."

"I hope so," she sighed, gently leaning against Fili, letting her head rest against his shoulder while his arms wrapped around her waist. "I don't want this journey to have been for nothing."

"Whatever he does end up telling us, whether it's nothing or everything, this journey won't have been for nothing. We might get a new alley which is never wrong," said Fili with a shrug.

"I suppose not," she sighed, her hand gently resting on his chest, playing with the hem of his shirt. "I just miss Thor…"

"Me too," hummed Fili before his arms tightened around her waist, pressing her tighter against him.

They stood like that for a while, simply hugging each other and enjoying being alone again after such a long journey. In a way, it was good to be back out on the road again. It gave Nàin nostalgic feelings and memories from their past adventure kept popping up which she enjoyed, though at the same time she missed being in Erebor – at home with her fellow Dwarves, her family, her son…

"Rohan is nothing like Erebor," she commented, a shiver running through her as she leaned back to look up at Fili. "It's not just the strange king and queen, but it's also that eerie feeling…"

"I got it too," said Fili. "The moment we stepped foot in Rohan, I felt it. As though something is watching us."

"Something dark," added Nàin with a nod. "Something lurks above us… in the shadows… plotting…"

"Must be because it's so different from Erebor," reasoned Fili. "We're not used to open fields where everything can grab us."

"Maybe," agreed Nàin.

"Either way," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "I did promise you something when we left Erebor."

Nàin furrowed her brow, looking up at her husband with a questioning look in her eyes, "I don't remember…"

"We've arrived in Rohan," he purred, beginning to lead her over to the bed, staring down into her eyes, "And we're alone…"

Nàin giggled, letting him lead her to the bed before gently pushing her down onto it. He joined her, resting on his side next to her, one arm propping up his body while the other arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She gently rested a hand against his cheek, at the same time making sure he did not close the space between their lips just yet. She wanted to soak in the lust-filled look he gave her for a little while longer, knowing that this look was the one he had been giving her the past couple of weeks too. She teased him slightly by letting him wait, while at the same time she relished in the fact that this was the effect she had on him. A fire burned in her lower abdomen and she could no longer hold him away out of pure lust of her own…

* * *

The next day began with breakfast with the hosting, royal family. The children joined them a little later, eating on their own with tired expressions on their faces. Nàin deduced that neither of them were used to waking up so early, though that King Thengel and Queen Morven had wanted them to join them, to keep up appearances with the guests.

Even the warrior, Thorongil, joined them towards the end – which also was the time when Nàin decided to open her mouth and break the silence.

"King Thengel," she said, causing both said king and the queen to look her way. "I would be delighted if you wanted to tell me a little more about my grandfather and my family's past."

Thengel looked away from her, a stiff smile evident on his lips. Morven looked away, continuing to eat what she had left on her plate. Both Fili and Nàin watched with furrowed brows as the King gently placed his cutlery down beside his plate, slowly taking up his napkin to wipe his mouth. Whether he was stalling with answering because he needed to think about what to reply or because he did not know what to reply, Nàin could not tell. That stiff smile of his made it hard for her to determine that.

"The festival has started today," he said, Nàin's heart falling to the pit of her stomach. "The market will be especially interesting today as the townsfolk will be selling tons of things they usually never sell. Isn't that right, dear?"

Morven nodded her head, "I do wish I could go myself. But I have other duties today."

Her eyes avoided Nàin's as she said this.

"But, mama, who is going to take us?" asked Theodwyn, seeming distraught over the fact that she might not be allowed to go to the market, her brother next to her showing the same emotions.

"I'm sure one of the servants will," said Morven with a stiff smile which looked a lot like her husband's.

"But mama-" pouted Theoden, not seeming too keen on joining one of the servants.

From the way the servants never seemed to smile or look anywhere but at the floor before them, Nàin could understand why neither of the children wanted to join them.

"Well, we Dwarves were thinking about going down to the market. Perhaps you children could show us around?" proposed Nàin, exchanging a smile with Ori and Fili.

"Oh, yes! Mama, please, can we go with them instead?" asked Theodwyn.

Morven seemed less than pleased by Nàin proposal, though seemed to not be able to say no as she glanced between her husband, whose face Nàin and Fili could not see as he was turned towards his wife, and the Dwarves in question.

"Very well then," said Morven after a little while, that stiff smile returning again. "You stay close to the _Dwarves_ then."

Nàin exchanged a look with Fili at the strange way the Queen had said that before they decided to let it go, quickly finishing their breakfast so that they could finally leave.

The market was just down the steps leading to the mansion and it was really not that hard to find, especially with all the noise coming from it and the tremendous amount of people who were, walking around and talking to each other. Yet, the children still insisted on grabbing a hold of the Dwarves' hands while leading them down the steps, talking non-stop about whatever they could come up with, seeming completely delighted about getting out of the mansion.

Only Ori had joined Nàin and Fili, the others having wanted to stay and rest a little longer. Kildin had wanted to come along, just as a guard, though both Fili and Nàin had told him that he did not need to be on duty at the moment. Even though the walls around the city weren't much for protection, Nàin and Fili doubted something bad would happen while they were down at the market.

Underneath a large tent, several stands had been put up offering either delicious smelling food, jewellery of all sorts, or beautiful flowers – either in bouquets or as crowns or wreaths. For Theodwyn, Nàin bought a small necklace and a beautiful rose crown to put on her head. Fili bought Theoden a bracelet and the very same rose crown as Theodwyn, his eyes nearly having popped out of its sockets when he saw the beautiful roses on top of his sister's head.

At one of the stalls, Nàin saw an old, leather bound book named 'A history of Rohan' in the common tongue, which she quickly bought of the old man selling it. It was late in the afternoon when they returned, both children talking and talking about their non-stop when Morven came to get them ready for supper.

To end the day, the mid-summer festival's first feast was served to them outside underneath the same tent as before, though all signs of there ever having been a market were gone. The King and Queen, along with the Dwarves, dined with those of the townspeople who had come to join and finally, Nàin could say she felt at ease. The feast was not quiet the way previous suppers had been. Instead, it was filled with laughter and chatting. An old man sitting next to Nàin kept flirting with her, which she found hilarious as he was rather bad at it. At the same time, Fili kept sending the man death-glares which she could not help but enjoy as well. He had never really been jealous before.

Apart from the food, the feast also involved theatre, songs and dances. Some of the townspeople had arranged the play, involving Theoden and Theodwyn in it. Afterwards, songs had been sung and dances had been taught to the Dwarves. All in all, the beginning of the festival had been amazing and entertaining, almost making up for the lack of information Thengel had given to Nàin so far.

A feast is not a feast without ale, according to Dwarven dining ethics. Therefore, it was not surprising for Nàin that her husband had fallen asleep the minute he touched the bed, not even having pulled his boots off. While snoring loudly, Nàin had been forced to remove his clothes and boots, a job she thought she would never find tedious at all. Though the man was heavy when he was unconscious and not aware of what she was doing.

With a frown on her face, she turned away from her snoring husband and towards the bath, taking off her own clothes and preparing a hot bath for herself filled with oils she found on the shelves. It was a little difficult filling the bath with water on her own, though she did not want to call for any maids, the way they seemed to feel annoyed by each and every chore they needed to do. Luckily, Nàin had experience with filling baths from her past-life and it took her no longer than half an hour, heating the water over the open fire that, luckily, was still burning.

Once the water was too cold to be in any longer, Nàin stepped out of the bath, disappointed to find Fili _still_ snoring soundly. She knew she could not fall asleep like that, even after all the experience she had had with snoring Dwarves during the quest for Erebor, and so she put on a robe and exited the room, deciding to roam around a little while everyone was asleep.

As she turned a corner, she found herself in a vast hallway. She recognized it immediately as the Throne hall, to which one came to firstly when entering the mansion. Albeit she was a little confused as to how she had gotten there, she entered the throne hall. On one side, the throne stood, empty and cold. It was no more than a slightly large, wooden chair in Nàin eyes – as she was used to large, stone thrones placed in a vast hall upon a piedestal, jewels decorating both her and Fili's throne.

In the middle of the room a fire was burning. She did not miss the man sitting there, smoking his pipe and watching her as she inspected the throne. It was only after a while that she decided to join him, the man not having looked away from her ever since she entered the throne hall. He was no strange, otherwise she would have felt uneasy. He was Thorongil, a warrior who seemed to have good morals from what she had seen and heard of him.

"Do you find something interesting?" she asked him as she sat down on the chair next to him, the fire warming up the both of them.

"My apologies," professed Thorongil, breathing out some smoke as though he were a dragon. "It is just that one does not often see Dwarven women."

Nàin nodded her head, smiling, "I think you've seen plenty Dwarven women. It's just that they tend to look like the men."

"But you do not," he stated.

"Quite the deduction you made there," she joked, earning a soft smile from the man. "I'm half-Rohirrim."

He hummed a yes in response, "I thought Thengel mentioned something like that, yes. I hope you enjoy yourself here in a humble town of Men?"

"I do," she said, nodding her head. "Though I must admit that things are slightly different than what I am used to."

"Compared to Dwarven kingdoms, this is nothing," agreed Thorongil.

"I'm mostly here to find out more about my past… My family."

He gave her a sympathetic look, "Apart from what he already told you, Thengel knows nothing more."

She looked down at her hands, having been afraid that that was the case for a while now. Though she had not wanted to believe it, not thinking anyone would send someone to go so far only for them to then not have anything to say.

"Then what does he want from us?"

"A new alley," said Thorongil. "Darkness is brewing close-by. More alleys would benefit Rohan."

"And us?" she asked quietly, to which he gave no answer but a soft look. "Not many Men have seen a Dwarven kingdom," she stated, changing the subject.

"I once managed to catch a glimpse when I found myself in the Iron Hills," he confessed.

"That's a long way from here," she replied. "Are you a wanderer then?"

"In a way," he admitted, puffing out some more smoke. "And in a way also not."

"Alright then," she smiled. "Be mysterious."

"Believe me, being mysterious is better for the both of us," he sighed.

"I do not believe that," she admitted, shaking her head. "I believe in owning up on what you've done."

"Who said anything about me having done anything?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You have a guilty look in your eyes," she shrugged. "I just assumed."

Thorongil smirked, though did not reply. Instead, he shifted slightly in his chair, placing the pipe he was smoking in his other hand, causing the ring he bore to sparkle slightly in the soft candle light.

"How did you come to be here?" she asked, diverting her eyes away from the ring.

"I knew Thengel before he was summoned to be King of Rohan. We both lived in Gondor, in Minas Tirith. We were both working on…" he side-glanced at her, seeming to make his mind up about something before he continued, "On keeping the borders safe."

"Borders?" she asked, intrigued by his story.

"The borders to Mordor."

Upon uttering the name, the a sudden breeze caused the fire in front of them to flicker. They both stared at the fire until it calmed down again, a sudden dark tension hovering over them.

"Orcs…" breathed Nàin, glancing at Thorongil. "You were fighting Orcs."

"Yes," he hummed. "And more. Wraiths. Darkness… Trolls."

She shuddered, "I did not know things were so bad. I'd heard about Mordor. But I did not know that the borders were so un-safe."

"They weren't a couple years ago," said Thorongil. "But something has been stirred. I wanted to help."

"That's very brave of you," praised Nàin.

"It is needed," he simply said, avoiding eye-contact with Nàin.

"We have Orcs nearby Erebor as well."

She did not know why she said it, but there was something about the way he looked at her and the way he talked that made her trust him, made her think he knew more than he let on. His eyes wandered over to her, a puff of smoke escaping his lips as he stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

"My husband told me when we left," she said. "They have been staying in the forest North of Erebor."

"The forest?" asked Thorongil. "They've been… Staying there?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"That's unusual for Orcs," he mumbled. "One would think they're all going to Mordor… But they're staying."

Nàin did not say anything else, instead watching him as he pondered over what she had just told him. Something about the wise-look in his eyes made her think about Gandalf.

"The only reason Orcs would stay away from Mordor in times such as these is if they are planning an attack," said Thorongil, glancing at her with wide eyes. "Be careful."

* * *

 **Just realized how long this chapter is... Oops...**


	9. Chapter 9, Betrayal

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 9  
Betrayal  
**

* * *

Worried and slightly stressed out, Nàin hurried back to her and Fili's room. Inside, still sprawled out on the bed, Fili was still sleeping; snoring, and he did not wake up until Nàin plopped down next to him and begun to shake him awake. He groaned at the harsh awakening before tensing up, seeing the worry and stress in Nàin's eyes and immediately grasping for his sword.

"No, it's okay," said Nàin, gently resting a hand on his arm, causing him to shift away from the sword resting next to his bed. "I just spoke to Thorongil-"

"Thorongil?" asked Fili, looking over to the door to see it slightly agape.

"Yes, the warrior," she said. "I told him about the Orcs-"

"Why?" asked Fili, narrowing his eyes. "He does not need to know anything about our problems."

"I know, but he opened about his own problems and… I just trust him," she explained, sighing at the stern look on Fili's face. "Don't be so stubborn, Fili. You look just like you're uncle when staring at me like that."

He sighed, looking away from her before nodding his head, "Very well… Go on."

"He told me that the only reason Orcs would be staying away from Mordor during these times would be because they are planning an attack on Erebor," said Nàin, her voice quivering slightly as she spoke. "This means our family – our people are in danger."

"What did he mean by 'these times'?"

"He comes from Gondor," she said, feeling even more stressed now that she had to explain it all to him, when all she wanted was to leave immediately and go back to Erebor to help. "From the border to Mordor. Apparently, things have not been the same for quite some time… Things are happening, dark things…"

"The darkness we've been feeling," breathed Fili worriedly. "Mordor…"

"Orcs are gathering in there. It's not normal for Orcs to keep away unless they have orders to," said Nàin. "Please, we need to go."

"But you're past-"

"It can wait," she said. "Our present is more important… Our future is more important… Thor is more important."

Upon hearing his son's name, Fili sprung into action, a fatherly look in his eyes making him feel and look more determined than he had ever been. It caused Nàin to shiver slightly, though she composed herself quickly and joined him in packing their things up before they went to wake the others.

"But we already knew they would probably attack," said Kildin, rubbing some sleep out of his eyes. "Why are we so worried now?"

Fili and Nàin stopped to think about it for a second before Nàin spoke up, "Because by waiting and not attacking immediately, we might have worsened the situation. And if our people are going into battle, we need to be there with them."

Kildin nodded his head, beginning to order the other Dwarves to pack their belongings and get ready to leave. Ori and Nàin exchanged a worried look before they all walked down the hallway, entering the throne hall where the door to the outside was. The fire in the middle of the room was still lit, though Thorongil was no longer there. Nàin figured he had left when she had left.

However, before Fili or Nàin could reach the doors, five guards appeared from the dark to block their path towards the doors. They held shields and swords in their hands and a serious and determined look in their eyes.

"What… What is happening?" asked Nàin, grabbing onto Fili's hand as Kildin and the other guards drew their swords.

A sound from behind them made Nàin and Fili turn around. There, on the other side of the throne hall, a man appeared from behind the throne, seeming to have been waiting there for the Dwarves to try and escape. King Thengel rounded his throne, lazily positioning himself in it while his eyes stared down at the Dwarves.

"It's a bit early in the morning to leave, don't you think?" asked King Thengel. "Besides, the festival is not even over yet! Is it not rude to simply leave in the middle of everything?"

Fili pushed himself past his guards and walked over to the fire, staring at King Thengel with a very angry twinkle in his eyes. Nàin followed her husband, gently laying a hand on his arm to silently tell him that nothing good would come out of it if he lashed out on the king. They were outnumbered, after all.

"Our kingdom is threatened by Orcs. We need to leave earlier," said Fili through gritted teeth.

"Oh!" cackled king Thengel. " _Your_ kingdom is threatened by Orcs, is it? Well, you're not alone."

Thengel suddenly rised from his throne, all hints of laziness and cockiness gone. Instead, the King seemed agitated after he heard Fili's words of Orcs and threats.

"You think you're the only ones with problems? This _throne_ … This Kingdom forced upon me is in danger too. And so is Gondor. I won't let you leave until we've come up with arrangements for you to aid us when we are in danger."

"You just want us for our army?" asked Nàin. "You used my past to get us here, to get Fili here, so you can arrange something that will benefit you?"

"Such an arrangement," said Fili, gently placing a hand on Nàin's arm to calm her down before taking a step forwards, looking at King Thengel with serious eyes. "What would it give us?"

King Thengel did not answer, clearly unsure of what he should or could say. Nàin frowned, looking back at Ori and Kildin who both seem just as worried about what would happen as she and Fili.

"I have a son and a daughter to protect. I have a child on the way… I have a kingdom now to protect! A kingdom I didn't ask for. But my father had to go and get himself killed… So now, I need to protect not only my family but this kingdom. With the rising threat in Mordor, who knows what will come to Rohan… I already have lost a village to an Orc attack. I will not lose anymore."

"Keeping us here won't help," said Nàin, shaking her head. "What good will come from a treaty we agree on just because we are being threatened into it?"

"Threatened?" asked Thengel, rising his eyebrows before the same cockiness from before returned. "No one is threatening _you_ , my lady. We're threatening your Dwarven friends."

More guards came in, aiming their swords now at not only the Ori, Kildin and the other guards, but also Fili, who raised his hands slightly to show he would not attack back. Nàin's eyes widened, reaching to grab Fili's hand though trying her best not to in case the guards would take that as a means to grab his sword and go to attack.

"What are you doing?" hissed Nàin, narrowing her eyes at the 'King' before her.

"I am told Dwarves are very loyal," said Thengel as he walked over to them. "So loyal even that they will follow their leader until he or she is dead or so crazy the Dwarves have no other choice… Is that not what I've heard happened in Erebor all those years ago?"

Nàin tensed up, biting down insults especially made for the man in front of her.

"Is that not right?" asked king Thengel again, this time looking back at Ori and the others, avoiding the death-glare Fili sent his way.

The Dwarves were armed, Nàin had her dagger in clear-view of the king before her and Fili and the others had their swords. Though the Dwarves did not take up arms, knowing they would be dead the moment their hands moved to their belts and knowing they could not win a fight with so many guards around them. Fighting their way out was not an option, and so Nàin let out a soft sigh, looking up at the King who diverted his eyes back to her as he realized he would not get an answer.

"So loyal that if you, Queen Nàin, sign a treaty and force yourself to come to our aid when we ask it of you – they will do as you say," said Thengel, a smirk appearing on his lips. "I wanted to do this in a kinder way, you know. But you give me no choice but to do it like this now that you're leaving in the middle of the night without even saying farewell."

"You are a cruel, awful man who does not deserve this throne," spat Nàin.

"Deserve? I have the only right to it," said Thengel back, laughing slightly as a guard walked over to him, handing the King a scroll of paper and a leather-bound book. "But I didn't want it…"

With the King's back to her, Nàin quickly turned to look at Fili, trying her best to avoid looking at the three swords pointed at him. She gave him a worried glance, silently asking him what to do. Though he did not know, only being able to softly shake his head.

"Sign this, and I won't have to keep you here any longer," said King Thengel as he turned back around again, handing her the scroll and a pen.

She glared at it, not moving to take the scroll.

"Sign it, and you will get this," he continued, now showing to her the leather-bound book. "All the information about your Rohirrim blood-line dating all the way back to the end of the First Age."

Nàin stared at the book, it was the information she wanted and had come there for. Though Thorongil's words echoed through her mind; _Apart from what he already told you, Thengel knows nothing more._ Of course Thengel could have kept the book from him, though as far as Nàin knew, they were close friends and at the moment, she trusted Thorongil more than Thengel.

"I will not become allies with a vile man like you."

The Dwarves behind her and Fili cheered for her words, giving out loud shouts of agreement. The King looked more than displeased, snarling as he turned around again, clutching the scroll tightly in his hand.

"Take them to the dungeons. Lock them up. They'll change their mind soon."

Guards approached Nàin too now and she took out her dagger, hearing the familiar sounds of swords being sheathed behind her as well, telling her that they were following her lead. Moving so she and Fili were with their backs against each other, they prepared to fight against the guards. They would not be taken in without a fight… Even if the odds were against them.

Fili gently grabbed Nàin's free hand, squeezing it tightly before the guards began to move towards them…

* * *

 **Note: I have not read this through. Weird grammatical faults can exist in this chapter and more... Sorry about that.**

 **Anyway, what did you guys think? Let me know by commenting :)**


	10. Chapter 10, Away From Rohan

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 10  
Away From Rohan  
**

* * *

Five guards surrounded Nàin and Fili and she felt completely discouraged. All she had was her father's dagger. The guards had longer arms then her, longer swords then her and she had no chance against them. Fili did have a sword, but he could not fight them on his own. The only way they would get out of the situation would be if Ori, Kildin and the other Erebor guards would get out of the fight before the guards attacked Nàin and Fili. The chances o that happening were too small.

There was no way to get out, there was no way to go. They would be imprisoned and kept away from Erebor. Of course Nàin did not doubt that Kili, Thorin and Dis could handle the Orc's attack on their own, but the Dwarves needed the moral support from their leaders to be able to fight their best.

Just as Nàin was about to lower her dagger to allow the guards to take her in without a fight, a voice boomed over the throne hall. Fili tensed up at the voice, neither of them understanding what it said. The guards around them also tensed up, pausing their movements towards Nàin and Fili and instead turning their heads to Thengel. Past two of the guards, Nàin could see Ori and Kildin standing back to back, looking utterly confused as to why the guards had stopped moving.

From one of the corners in the Throne Hall, Thorongil suddenly appeared, walking over to Thengel with long strides. His hand was resting on the handle of his sword, which was attached to his belt. Although Nàin had a burning hatred for Thengel in her heart, a burning fire she only just now felt, she pitied him as he cowered away from the harsh look on Thorongil's face. He looked stoic, confident and much more like a king then Thengel would ever look.

Thorongil continued to speak with the king in the foreign language none of the Dwarves understood and once he was done, the Dwarves watched as Thengel slowly dropped down onto his throne, hand on his face. Thorongil stepped away, sarcastically bowing to his 'king' before he took his leave. As he passed the guards, his eyes flickered over to Nàin. She noticed he was wearing used clothing and a dark coat. On his back, a bow and arrows were strapped to a belt attached to his torso. He looked ready to go out into the wilderness in her opinion.

As he looked away from her, she did not miss the slight bow of his head towards her and she smiled, knowing her time in Rohan had not been completely wasted as she had gained a new friend.

"Open the doors," ordered Thengel, the guards exchanging looks with each other before slightly lowering their swords.

The Dwarves kept staring, glaring, at King Thengel. The silence and tension was intense, nearly strangling all in the room. The only thing disrupting the silence came from behind them, where they could hear the doors indeed being opened as Thengel had ordered. Nobody moved, however, until Nàin herself relaxed and turned around, beginning to walk towards the doors. The other Dwarves did the same. All but Fili.

"Why?"

The sound of his voice echoing against the walls and disrupting the silence Nàin had wanted to leave behind her, caused her to stop and turn.

"What did he say that made you suddenly change your mind?" asked Fili.

Thengel removed his hand from his face, his eyes staring at Fili. There was a new sort of certainty in them. A certainty of that what he was doing was right. Nàin was sure that certainty came in handy as a King of Rohan.

"The world of Men are not the only ones who are in danger of what lurks in Mordor."

"And what lurks in Mordor?" asked Fili.

"Evil."

Seeming satisfied with the answer, Fili turned around and walked over to Nàin. Their weapons now sheathed again, the King and Queen or Erebor grabbed a hold of each other's hands before leading the others outside of the Mansion. The guards' eyes followed them all the way outside, though no one looked up at them. Relations between Men and Dwarves had gotten no further that day. And Nàin doubted it would get much better after this incident.

Outside, the moon was still shining down over them as they walked down the steps towards the stables. The town was eerily quiet and dark, only some torches having been lit along the path towards the Gate. Some torches were dancing up on the wooden wall, indicating guards were patrolling the walls. Though Nàin doubted they saw anything that wanted to attack the town in the darkness. The moon might be out and shining down, but it did not light up the world around them as brightly as the sun did after all and some shadows were still impossible to see through.

At the beginning of their stay in Rohan, Nàin had promised herself to visit their stables. After all, Rohan was famous for their horses and she had always wanted to see one with her own eyes. Though as she entered the stables, the beautiful wooden structure made no impression on her. The horses looking down at them with confused and wise eyes did not make an impression either. All she wanted was to grab her pony and leave Rohan for good.

* * *

Over in Erebor, everything was quiet except for in the mines. The smelters were always on and there were always Dwarves working down there, even though there were fewer Dwarves during the nighttime. Though up at the top of the mountain, in the Halls of the Royals, things were quiet. Two guards were standing by the entrance of the halls, half-asleep and leaning on their large battle-axes. They did not notice the soft sounds of tiny feet against the stone floor. They did not notice the sound of Thorin's door opening and the body the tiny feet carried sliding through the door.

"Thorin?"

The voice was muffled by two hands rubbing away tears from their cheeks. Though Thorin still heard it. He had just blown out the candles in his chamber and had just fallen asleep when his little nephew had awoken him again.

"Mmyes?"

Thorin rubbed his eyes, sitting up in bed. His eyes had to adjust to the darkness, though once they did, his heart sunk.

"What's wrong, little man?"

He reached out a hand to Thor who immediately climbed up on the bed and hugged him. Thor had often showed his fascination with Thorin, though he had never really hugged him. Not after how Thorin had scared him those months back. Carefully, Thorin brought an arm around the little boy, not being able to think of his mother. Nàin used to come to Thorin's house too when she was Thor's age, after her father had been 'mean' to her. Now, Thor was the one who sought his company, his protection and it did warm Thorin's heart.

"Mama's in trouble…" the little boy hiccuped, clearly very upset about whatever had happened.

"What in Durin's name do you mean?" asked Thorin. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Thor nodded his head, "I saw mama getting attacked by a bad man."

"It was just a dream, Thornoid," said Thorin. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

When finally passing through the gates, Nàin felt completely liberated of it all. She was a step closer to Erebor, a step closer to her son. Though they still had two months of travelling to do.

The green fields of Rohan swayed slightly as the wind passed over them. She was riding ahead of the other Dwarves, not feeling particularly good about everything that had happened. Someone could have gotten hurt, and it would have been Nàin's fault as she had been the one to believe Thengel's lies to begin with. Luckily, Thengel had let them go. But he could just as well have forced her and the other Dwarves to stay.

Fili appeared beside her, riding in line with her while the others stayed behind. He stayed silent and simply reached out a hand to Nàin. She grabbed it, intertwining their fingers with each other.

"I feel stupid," she said. "All I wanted was to get a better understanding of who my mother was. Not just have the few memories I have of her being sick and weak… But get to know the strong woman Thorin always said she was. I just wanted to know more of my own history…"

"You're not stupid," said Fili. "I believe Thengel as much as you did."

Nàin glanced at him before letting go of his hand, urging her pony into a faster walk so she could ride ahead of Fili again. On her own.

 _"Mahal"_ she thought to herself. _"I just want to hold Thor in my arms right now. So I know I've at least done something good in my life."_

Before she could even try and rationalize her own thoughts, to try and make herself feel better, something pounced against her. Her pony screeched out a surprised sound before running off while Nàin and her attacked fell to the ground with a thud. The low growling and nasty stench she recognized all too well made her realize her attacker was an Orc. It turned her around, straddling her and raising its dagger up over her face.

"Nàin!" Fili yelled.

Her eyes widened. In two seconds, the dagger would be pushed through her eye and she would be dead. Though she could do nothing. It had her arms pinned to the ground and it was so heavy on top of her that she could barely breathe, let alone move it off of her or squirm away from it. All she could do was close her eyes and try to think of her son and Fili, so the last thing she would see would not be that foul creature hovering over her…


	11. Chapter 11, Talking Orcs?

**A/N**

 **I'm sorry it's been so long. Things have been hectic in my life lately. But I'm sorta back on track again and I hope I've got my free-time back so I can write again.**

 **This is not my best writing but we're finally getting to the point where things are starting to move towards the LOTR plot. After reading this you'll probably not get why, but that's fine 'cause you'll get it when the movie's plot starts. I have a plan for Nàin which I hope is going to be interesting, and that plot starts now.**

 **Hope you like it! :)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 11  
Talking Orcs?  
**

* * *

 _Her eyes widened. In two seconds, the dagger would be pushed through her eye and she would be dead. Though she could do nothing. It had her arms pinned to the ground and it was so heavy on top of her that she could barely breathe, let alone move it off of her or squirm away from it. All she could do was close her eyes and try to think of her son and Fili, so the last thing she would see would not be that foul creature hovering over her…_

Though the blow never came. Instead, a gurgling sound came from the Orc straddling her, causing her to open her eyes again. Through his forehead, the shaft of an arrow could be seen and the Orc slowly fell to the ground next to her. She pushed the body of the Orc off of her, crawling away from the nasty body a little bit before two hands were placed on her upper arms. Fili came into view, his eyes stressed and worried. She tried to give him a comforting smile, though something caught her eye behind Fili.

Quickly, she unsheathed her dagger and threw it straight at the advancing Orc's face, causing him to fall to the ground with a thud. Fili turned to look at the now dead Orc, though something else caught his eye; a pack of Orcs astride Wargs coming their way.

With the help of Fili's hands, Nàin pulled herself up from the grass and made her way to the dead Orc, grabbing her dagger from its head. Kildin and the others joined them, readying themselves to fight the Orcs off. Luckily, Kildin offered Nàin a sword so she could fight alongside of them, which she gratefully took from him as it would help her more than the dagger would do in battle.

However, before the Orcs could even come into attacking-range, a group of Rohirrim warriors attacked the Orcs instead, causing their focus to turn to the Rohirrim instead. A couple of Rohirrim were standing a little off, shooting arrows at the Orcs and Wargs while four other men, Thorongil included, fought off the Orcs with swords. The Dwarves quickly ran over to where the battle took place and helped the Rohirrim take down the Orcs. It was not until the last Warg's head had been cut off its body that silence overtook the field again. The moon was still shining down on them as the Dwarves and Rohirrim turned to face each other, everyone out of breath and with their bloody swords still in their hands.

"More Orc packs attack every day. Though none have come this close to Edoras before," said Thorongil, taking a step forwards. "You should go now, before anymore come."

Fili glanced at Nàin before speaking up, "So it is true then. Orcs are gathering in Mordor and they are becoming a big threat to the Kingdom of Men?"

"Yes, those were no lies," said Thorongil with a nod of his head.

"But what can we Dwarves do? We live too far off to come to your aid in time," said Fili, surprising Nàin with the hint of worry in his voice, obviously seeming to suddenly want to help them.

"All you can do, is stand ready when the time comes," said Thorongil. "Because a time will come when not only Rohan will need the help of Dwarves, but the rest of Middle-Earth too. Elves, Men and Dwarves will unite to fight against whatever is awakening in Mordor. I'm sure of it."

Fili said nothing, instead simply glancing over at Nàin.

"Go now," said Thorongil with a bow of his head. "King and Queen of Erebor."

He turned away and walked with his men back to the city. On his back rested a bow and a quiver filled with arrows. Nàin noticed briefly that the feathers attached to his arrows were the colour of the morning sun, and also the same colour as the feathers of the arrow that had saved Nàin's life.

* * *

A long time had passed since then and no one had really talked much of the incident. Erebor was in sight once more and the Dwarves felt relieved to be home soon. The remainder of the journey had gone well without any further incidents and at the moment, the Dwarves were taking a break right next to the forest of Mirkwood – the one forest neither Nàin, Fili or Ori dared to enter after their last encounter with it, which also was the reason for why their journey to Rohan and back took so much longer than it was supposed to.

Apart from them nearly being home, nothing much had changed. Well, there was one thing that had changed. Nàin's belly had begun to grow again. Her travelling clothes were not fit to go over her belly, even though she was not showing that much yet, and so she had gotten to wear Fili's extra shirt. Them not having much to change to after a long day of riding meant that they always needed to take a swim in the late evenings so as to clean their clothes, otherwise they would smell too much. It was a little something that Fili did not mind.

The pregnancy had, however, caused Fili's demeanour to change. He was tense all the time, never really wanting to fall asleep and never really wanting Nàin to go anywhere on her own. After the Orc incident and after learning that he had gotten her pregnant again, he wanted her to be safe, something she was not when out in the open like they were at the moment, travelling back to Erebor. And although Nàin could handle herself, the pressure of keeping the _two_ of them safe was what caused Fili to be so tense. It was worrying Nàin to see him like that and therefore, she was sure she was the one that was the most relieved when they saw the first view of Erebor in the distance, knowing that Fili's worrying would soon be over.

It was midday when they decided to take a little rest. Mostly because Nàin's back was aching slightly, riding not being as comfortable as it used to be when it was just her, but also because most of the Dwarves were distracted by the view of their home, too distracted to keep an eye out for any dangers that might come from Mirkwood and so Fili decided that a break would do them good.

Fili helped his wife down from her pony, his brow furrowing at the exhausted look on her face. He gently pressed a hand against her cheek, causing her to look up at him in confusion.

"We're almost there," ensured Fili.

Nàin smiled widely, "Almost home. We finally get to see Thor again."

"That too," said Fili, staying serious. "But you also get to rest again."

Nàin rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath, "I'm fine."

"You look exhausted. You weren't this exhausted the last time," urged Fili, keeping his hand on her cheek while he intensely looked down at her.

"The last time, I wasn't on the back of a pony the entire days… Please," she said, her smile fading, "Stop worrying so much."

"That's what I'm here for. It's all I can do while you're in this condition. We can't exactly take turns in carrying the baby," he said gently, his thumb softly moving over her cheekbone as she leaned into his touch.

"That would be nice though," she murmured, her hand gently resting on her stomach before she frowned, looking up into Fili's eyes with a serious look on her face. "I have to pee."

Fili chuckled, letting his hand fall to the side. "There's an entire forest waiting for you."

"Gross," chuckled Nàin, beginning to walk towards the edge of the Mirkwood forest.

"Don't go too far," urged Fili from behind her, causing her to wave her hand at him.

Although the forest seemed brighter than it once was, as though something had moved away from it; something dark and evil, Nàin still felt uncomfortable walking amongst its trees. There was just something about it that made her stomach churn and her heartbeat quicken.

Making sure the bush she chose to kneel behind was not too far away from Fili and the others, she sat down to relieve herself. The baby was no older than two months yet was still already making her belly bigger and making her pee the entire time. She feared this pregnancy would be like many she had witnessed during her time as a nanny: horrible. Though at the end of it, something beautiful would happen to her and Fili, blessing their lives even more than Thor had already done. So it was worth it to her.

As she finished, pulling her pants up again, a twig cracked behind her. She twirled around, narrowing her eyes. Her hand gently moved towards her dagger she had hidden in her boot. Though nothing came out. There was just silence that followed and nothing else. She began to relax again, wanting to turn around to walk back to the camp where all the Dwarves had now sat down around a small campfire, cooking up some lunch.

However, as she turned around, another twig cracked right next to her. As she twirled towards the sound, she came face to face with the head of an arrow pointed at her forehead. From behind her, another twig cracked and she heard the nasty, wet breathing of an Orc standing behind her before she felt the edge of its sword against her back, almost daring her to go for the dagger in her boot so it could kill her.

"If you scream-" the Orc began, surprising Nàin so much she had forgotten the threat at hand - Orcs could not speak their common tongue. "- you'll die."

Excited laughter was heard from behind her, though the Orc quieted down as the Orc with the arrow to her forehead glared at it.

Albeit there was a heavy accent and it seemed rather unsure of whether or not it was saying the right things, it was still speaking the common tongue. It was then that she noticed the clothing the Orc in front of her wore – Dwarven clothing which was obviously ten times too small for it. Though they had still managed to, albeit very wrongly, sew it shut where it had cracked when they put the outfits on. Much to her displeasure, she noticed they had used hair to sew the shirt and pants back shut, causing the clothing they had stolen to look horrible. Not only that, but Orcs were filthy creatures by nature and while they wore those shirts and pants, two worlds seemed to collide and it made Nàin feel uncomfortable.

"Why can you talk our language?"

"Black Speech will be noticed by our master…" said the Orc simply before snarling at its friend. Nàin felt a finger touch her hair, holding one of her braids between its fingers, and she fought against slapping the Orc's hand away from her, knowing that it would come with consequences and that she did not only have herself to think about anymore.

"The hair…" the Orc behind her said with the same, heavy accent.

"Queen?" asked the Orc before her, his eyes twinkling with something Nàin could not make out.

Since when did Orcs even think? Since when did Orcs even know anything else but how to kill? This entire incident was very strange to her.

"Y-Yes," she said, hating how scared her voice sounded, wanting to keep up the act that she was not afraid of them.

"You have been spying on us. Leave us alone."

Nàin blinked twice, cocking her head to the side as the words replayed in her head, "You're from North of Erebor?"

The Orc gave a strange nod of its head, clearly not used to that very gesture and yet, it knew that it was a gesture that meant 'yes'. Someone must have been teaching them things… But who? And why had the Orcs listened?

"You're on our territory," explained Nàin, the Orc exchanging a glance with its 'friend'. "And you're Orcs. We're not exactly allies."

The Orc made a strange movement with its head then. It slowly tilted its head to the side, his eyes widening slightly. It looked much like the gesture a small puppy would make when it was trying to understand, though on the Orc it simply looked creepy and made Nàin's skin crawl.

"We'll move higher up."

"And you've been on our territory. Groups of Orcs have been spotted here and there," said Nàin.

"That's not us," the Orc growled. "Leave _us_ alone."

Nàin furrowed her brow, however, before she could ask more, the Orc lowered his arrow and ran away. Its friend did the same and suddenly, she was left alone feeling even more confused than she had ever felt before. In her mind, the words the Orc had said replayed over and over again, and the sight of the Orcs twinkling eyes stayed illuminated before her. Those yellow eyes had looked so curious and yet also frightening.

What was going on?


	12. Chapter 12, Secrets about Orcs

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 12  
Secrets about Orcs**

* * *

She had said nothing about the incident to Fili or the others. Perhaps that was a stupid decision, but she simply felt as though Fili would overreact. After all, she was alright, the baby was alright, and nothing had happened. Apart from the fact that more questions had arisen that Nàin doubted she would ever get answered.

The stench of the Orcs had been in the nostrils since that encounter, and her mind had been playing their words over and over again. To Fili, she looked lost in thoughts all the time, a worried crease on her forehead almost always present. He had tried to ask her what was wrong, though she had simply brushed things off, saying she missed Thor. Though Fili and Nàin had been together long enough to know when the other was lying, which Nàin also noticed Fili knew. The entire event had simply put their relationship on test, and Fili did not even know why.

Once they arrived at Erebor again, the welcome party had been tremendous. They had been greeted over the fields leading to Erebor by both Men from Dale, and Dwarves from Erebor. They sang, shouted and celebrated as the Dwarves rode past them. Fili and Nàin both waved at them all greeting them back home, though it was difficult for either of them to keep up the smiles.

At the large gates, whom were open, several guards had been placed to keep the Dwarves away from the Royal family who were stood there, waiting for the King and Queen to return. Nàin's heart skipped a beat as she saw her son standing next to Kili, holding his hand while nervously shifting on his feet; staring with big eyes up at his mother. Both she and Fili jumped off of their ponies quickly, unintentionally ignoring the big crowd of Dwarves stood there as they ran up to Thor. The little child tore away from Kili and met up with his parents halfway, Nàin immediately embracing her son while Fili hugged them both.

Tears welled down Nàin's face and she silently promised herself to never leave Thor alone for so long again. Upon seeing her belly, Dis went to take Thor away from Nàin as they began to walk over to the others to greet them once again. Though Nàin almost swatter away Dis' hands, not wanting to let go of her son even though carrying him was slightly uncomfortable.

Thorin, Dis, Kili, Dwalin, Balin, Gloin, Gimli and everyone else was all there to greet them back home, and together they entered the mountain and walked straight to the Great Hall for a large feast.

"To the King and Queen!" shouted Bofur, holding up his pint of beer before the others joined in on shouting and cheering around the table.

Nàin and Fili laughed at the others, happy that everyone was so happy to have them back again. Neither of them said anything about why they had returned so fast, not yet anyway.

"Did you find what you were looking for, my lady?" asked Balin, whom was sat close to the Royals and next to Ori and his brothers, whom were talking loudly about everything that had happened on the voyage.

"In a way, I didn't find more than I already had learned… But there are some other matters we managed to learn… Other matters that are important that we discuss in private later," said Nàin, sharing a glance to those she wanted to talk to besides Balin; Thorin, Dis, Kili, Dwalin and Gloin.

"Of course. I'll make arrangements for that after the feast," said Balin seriously before his face softened. "Did you truly not find out more about your mother? Oh, how I remember her as though it was yesterday. So energetic and kind."

Nàin smiled a saddened smile before shaking her head, "I suppose I am not destined to know more of her than I already do. She was royal and important, that much I do know. But why she fled and how she met my father… I will never know."

"Someday, perhaps," said Balin before offering her a soft smile.

Nàin's eyes diverted over to Fili and her son, who was laughing and smiling widely while sitting in the lap of his father. The happiness and pure joy in Fili's eyes were indescribable to Nàin and filled her with such joy she had never felt before. It was a look she had missed on Fili's face, a look she was proud to have been able to give to him. After all, without her, Fili would not have Thor sitting on his lap.

"It is not proper for a Queen to be part of a feast when bearing a child," mumbled Dis from next to Nàin, earning an eye-roll from Thorin.

"Let it be, sister. They are the Queen and King now and may do as they please," mumbled Thorin back, which surprised Nàin because Thorin had always been one to want to follow the old customs.

He noticed her looking at him and quickly averted his eyes. Something was up, though she couldn't tell what. Dis, however, seemed displeased by Thorin's sudden change of heart and huffed out a breath of air before standing up, quietening down all the feasting Dwarves. Even Thor had learned not to come in the way of Dis when she was irritated.

"My dear, you must be tired," she said, looking at Nàin. "Do you not want a bath? Jytina and Sillina can be called upon easily so they can help you-"

"I think I'm fine," said Nàin quietly, though was met with an enraged look from Dis, which not even Nàin could stand. "Actually, on second thought, perhaps a bath would do me good."

She eyed Balin as she stood up, mouthing, _"Meeting – my chambers,"_ before following Dis out of the hall. Before she left, though, she turned back and waved at Thor who smiled widely and waved back.

Jytina and Sillina were already waiting for Dis outside, which made Nàin suspect that Dis had already planned from the beginning that Nàin would not participate in the feast.

"I am sorry my dear," said Dis as they began to ascend the stairs up towards the Halls of the Royals. "But I won't have my unborn grandson become deaf before he's even learned to speak."

"They were rather loud this time," joked Nàin before sighing. "It's alright, Dis, I know you mean well and old customs are important to keep alive actually. Speaking of which, since when does Thorin not agree with you on that front?"

Dis let out a breath, "I fear he's fallen to the thoughts of the young ones lately. At least I still have Balin and Dwalin on my side."

"Surely our thoughts aren't that bad? All we want is some more relaxation and not such formal, pardon my language, crap."

"That's exactly why it's a bad idea," argued Dis with a sigh. "The throne needs to stay formal and not get distracted by family matters."

Nàin sighed, shaking her head, "I fear we'll never see eye to eye on this matter, Dis."

"Indeed," she huffed, earning a soft chuckle from Nàin.

* * *

Two hours later, and Nàin was wrapped up in a cosy nightgown, a large, fluffy robe and a blanket while sitting on her bed, reading a book. Jytina and Sillina had already left half an hour ago after having re-braided all her braids and brushed through her hair. Taking a bath had felt amazing to Nàin; as though she had been able to wash off all the troubles from Rohan and the Orcs in just an hour. The deliciously smelling oils that she had been covered in was something she truly had missed the past couple of months, and she once again made a silent promise to herself; this time to never leave Erebor again – though she was prepared to break that one promise. As long as she got to take Thor with her.

With one hand resting on her belly, and one hand holding up the book, she waited for Balin and the others to arrive to her and Fili's chambers to discuss what she needed to discuss with them. Fili would obviously join them, and she figured it would be a good time to tell him about the incident in the forest. If she dared… Fili would get mad after all – especially since she didn't tell him immediately so he could hunt them down and kill them himself. At least, she imagined he would do something like that, which was the very reason for why she had not told him. Those Orcs clearly did not want a fight, and for some reason, even after everything Orcs had done to anyone in Middle Earth and to her and her family, she empathized with them. Which again was yet another reason for why Nàin was afraid to tell the truth to Fili. What would he think of her if she told him that?

A soft knock was heard on the door and she put down her book while calling, "Come in!" to whoever was outside of the door. With tiny steps, Thor ran through the door and up to her on the bed, hugging her tightly. She smiled widely while embracing him as he made himself comfortable on the bed, resting his head against her breast.

Balin, Dwalin, Gloin, Gimli, Kili, Thorin and Fili entered her chambers, all either taking a seat around the bed or leaning against a near-by wall. Fili placed himself next to Nàin, leaning against the wall. She could tell he wanted to join her and Thor on the bed, but that he did not want to seem too relaxed still.

"We need to discuss the matter of the Orcs in the forest north of here," announced Nàin while still, gently, brushing her fingers through Thor's hair as he closed his eyes.

"Did anything new happen while we were away?" asked Fili.

Kili shook his head, "We kept an eye on them, though they stayed where they were. Exactly where they were. Whatever Orcs came too close to Erebor, were not them."

"Are you saying the Orcs are no longer just one group of disgusting creatures?" asked Fili.

"I'm saying that whatever Orcs we've killed so far out of defence, were not part of the group up north," concluded Kili.

"Orcs don't usually build _homes_ unless they are ordered to do so," informed Thorin. "Or unless they have their leader with them and they are building a fortress."

Kili shook his head, "I doubt they're doing that. From what my men have told me, those Orcs simply live there in primitive huts cooking up whatever horrible food they eat."

"I say we kill them and get rid of them all," said Dwalin.

"Aye, easiest way to solve this problem if ya ask me," agreed Gimli.

"No. It's more complicated than that if they're really not building a fortress… Say, they don't have any marks on them?" asked Nàin curiously, still feeling rather nervous about telling the truth about what had happened.

"Marks? Not what I know," answered Kili.

"And those Orcs you've killed?" asked Nàin. "Those who wandered too close to Erebor and Dale – what of them? Did they wear a marking?"

"What are you really asking, Nàin?" asked Balin.

She took in a breath, "I'm asking to whom those Orcs belong."

"You're thinking the Orcs who wander close to Erebor are not the same Orcs as those who are up north, aren't you?" theorized Fili, earning a nod from Nàin.

 _That's not us. Leave_ us _alone._

"Yes…"

"I'll see if we've saved their armour," promised Kili before heading towards the door.

"And what if they aren't? What if they are separate Orcs?" asked Balin. "What will it mean?"

"It won't mean we spare them," informed Fili, causing Nàin's heart to skip a beat, something she hated but could not help. "But our tactics would be different."

"I don't think we should attack before we know the story behind why they are there," said Nàin carefully. "Perhaps… Perhaps there's a bigger threat behind it all."

"I agree," said Fili with a nod from Balin. "We do not want the same thing happening to Erebor as what happened to Gundabad or Moria."

"Gundabad was taken shortly after Sauron's fall," said Balin with a shake of his head. "Orcs are not as strong anymore, which we have proven ourselves during the Battle of the Five Armies."

"Yet Orcs from Angmar have been seen lately. _Angmar_ ," said Dwalin.

"Wait, what?" asked Fili and Nàin at the same time.

Balin sighed and rolled his eyes, "It's a rumour we've heard lately. That Angmar and the other wraiths have awoken."

Nàin shared a glance with Fili before they both looked down at Thor.

"I may not know much of the history of Middle-Earth, but if that is the case, we should have been informed of this rumour," said Nàin.

"It is nothing more but a rumour," continued Balin. "Besides, Sauron is dead."

"If you do not know much of Middle Earth's history, your duty as a queen, and king, will be to read up on it. You may have to," said Thorin darkly.

"What are all these rumours we have not heard?" asked Fili worriedly.

Kili entered the room again, his cheeks flushed from having run up and down, "White hand."

"White hand?" asked Nàin, looking over at Thorin, Dwalin and Balin.

"I have not heard of such markings before," said Balin.

"Neither have I," agreed Kili. "And I asked my men whether or not the Orcs in the north have them, and they don't."

"What can that mean?" asked Fili quietly.

"I think the Orcs we've killed, the ones with the white hand as their marks, are for some reason trying to get to the Orcs up north. So far, we've managed to keep the Orcs up north save from them by killing them off."

"But why would the Orcs be fighting amongst each other?" asked Gimli.

"If they are fighting," huffed Dwalin. "They might be trying to join."

"I don't think so…" said Nàin quietly. "I think somehow, the Orcs up north are staying there in peace."

"What?" chuckled Gloin. "My lady, you can't be serious."

"It's a theory I have, nothing more. And I think that it's not very… acceptable to other Orcs to do such a thing. Perhaps… they're runaways."

"Or they're planning an attack, like all Orcs do," huffed Dwalin in annoyance. "Orcs can't be peaceful."

"I agree, Nàin. Orcs aren't peaceful," said Kili.

Though as Nàin looked over at Fili, he was intently looking down at her, searching her eyes and face for something she was not telling him. With a blush, she averted her eyes, knowing that when this meeting was over, Fili would have some questions for her which she was dreading to answer.


	13. Chapter 13, Betrayal

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 13  
Betrayal  
**

* * *

"Can you tell me a story?"

Nàin smiled down at her son, gently sitting back down at the edge of the bed. Fili was still in their chambers, waiting for her to return so he could question her and she dreaded it, hence why she felt relieved that Thor had some troubles falling asleep.

"Of course…" she said, gently tugging the covers close around him. "There once was a king and queen who ruled a large kingdom together. Everything they did, they did together and they were very happy."

"What did the kingdom look like?" asked Thor with intrigued eyes.

"It was a large kingdom buried underneath of the ground. There was only one entrance, and only those who had the key could enter through that door. And once you entered, you would find yourself in a kingdom consisting of nothing but vast halls held, with large pillars of stone holding up the ceiling; pillars so high that you could not even see where they ended. And all around you, the halls would be held lit up by large fires. Dwarves lived everywhere, roaming the large halls and crafting magnificent things."

"Like Erebor?" asked Thor.

"Yes, but just a little different," said Nàin. "You see, Erebor has several entrances. And it's in a mountain, not underneath of the ground. We would know if someone walked over our mountain, after all. No, it was not like the Lonely Mountain at all, for its hallways were magical."

Thor's eyed widened; "Like the Elves' magic?"

"Exactly – only better," smirked Nàin, winking down at her son who smiled. "Everything was wonderful and exciting. Except that the King and Queen had a secret. Not from each other, but from their people. A curse lay on the King. And one day, that curse was activated and the King fell into a deep slumber. The Queen was horrified and sad. She cried herself to sleep every night. Until something appeared before her. A Darkness; an enemy. It had big, yellow eyes that… that were curious and held a sort of kindness in them, yet they were also frightening to her. It showed itself to her so it could tell her a secret."

"What secret?" asked Thor.

Nàin gently placed a hand on Thor's cheek before she continued, "It wanted to tell her that it knew and that it had been living next door to them for all these years… But most importantly, it had to tell her that it could help the King wake up again."

"How?"

"Well, she had to promise him something. She had to, in secret, become its bride and give birth to its child. Only then would the Darkness wake the King up again. And so she did, not knowing that the curse had been put there by the Darkness itself a long time ago, just so it could use the Queen in such a manner. Ten months later, the Dwarven Queen gave birth to the Darkness' child, and the Darkness took the child from its mother and disappeared. The Queen was mortified to have lost her child, but ran up to the bedroom of the King and found him wide-awake."

"So the story ends well?" asked Thor with intrigued eyes, stifling a yawn.

"The King asked her what she had done to make her cry. You see, he was worried she would have done something horrible in order to wake him up again – because they loved each other so much. And although the Queen had done something horrible, the Queen did not tell the King so."

"She was afraid that the King would stop loving her," whispered Thor with wide eyes.

"Exactly," replied Nàin. "And so, the King and Queen lived on happily, not knowing that something was going to happen to their kingdom in the future because of what the Queen had done; because the Queen had betrayed her King… She had lied… And there are always consequences when you lie…"

"What happened to the kingdom?" asked Thor, stifling another yawn.

Nàin put on a smile on her lips, shaking her head, "You are too tired to hear it. I suppose you'll hear the rest of the story tomorrow."

"No, I'm not tired at all," mumbled Thor before stifling yet another yawn.

Nàin chuckled at her son, leaning down to place a kiss to her son's forehead, "How about you help me come up with an ending tomorrow night, huh?"

"Okay," breathed Thor, shifting around under the covers to find the right spot to fall asleep in. "I want it to end well though. All your stories end well."

Quietly, she stood up and blew out her candle. A saddened smile was on her lips, which Thor could not see as he was already asleep. The darkness engulfed her as she walked across the room to the door. Before she exited his room, she whispered to herself, "I hope you're right…"

With her back against her son's door, she took in some deep breaths. Fili had told her he wanted to talk to her after she had put Thor to sleep. Usually, Fili would come with her to put their son to sleep, to tell him a story and cuddle a bit, – it was one of the many things Fili adored to do with his son – but he had not come with them that evening. And Nàin had a feeling she knew why; lying to Fili about the Orcs had not been the best idea she had ever had. Though it had felt like the rational thing to do then, she did not feel like it was anymore. Yes, she had anticipated Fili growing mad with her if she did lie to him, but she had also anticipated him freaking out if she had told him the truth from the very start. He had already been so scared to leave her alone, and he was already so stressed about her being pregnant during the travel back home, that she was afraid that he might do something stupid if he knew there had been Orcs in the woods _talking_ to her.

Though he had to know the truth. And it was now or never.

With hesitant steps, she entered their chambers, avoiding to look at the guard down the hall who had curiously been watching her as she leaned against her son's door.

Fili was sat on her chair in front of her mirror and make-up desk. Where she would usually sit when her maids Jytina and Sillina would pamper her or help her get dressed, something she was in need of now that her stomach was growing again, at an alarmingly fast rate as well.

"Fee?"

He looked at her through the mirror first, before he turned around in the chair to face her.

"What is it you've been keeping from me?" asked Fili quietly. "Something tells me it's not something as innocent as you having pains… Because you've been telling me about that."

Nàin looked away from her husband and sat down on the bed, as far away from him as she could. She was not sure why she felt better staying away from him, though she figured it had something to do with feeling more secure telling him the truth from a distance. Not that she was afraid he would lash out, but because it simply felt safer. She would simply not be so close to him when he found out she had lied to him.

"Remember when we were travelling back home to Erebor? During the second last day when I had to go into the woods to pee?"

Fili blinked once before nodding his head, "Yes, I remember."

"I wasn't alone in the woods."

For a couple of seconds, Nàin could clearly see a darkness overtake his eyes. A darkness she, unfortunately, recognized from Thorin's eyes. Thorin's eyes on a bad day.

"Fee?"

"What do you mean?" he asked with a monotone tone to his voice.

"There were Orcs there-" She paused as Fili abruptly stood up, beginning to pace back and forth in front of her.

"Go on."

"They talked to me."

"That's not possible. They don't know the common tongue, nor do they know Khuzdul," he said harshly.

"Well, they did know the common tongue. And I know what it sounds like, I didn't believe it either at first. But it… I heard it. They were talking to me. And they told me… They…"

"Yes?" asked Fili, coming to a stop in front of her.

"They said that they were the ones from the… colony-thingy up north… And that they don't want to harm us. They just… Want to live, I think."

Fili stared at her, "You believed them? They are _Orcs_ , Nàin. They tried to **murder** uncle Thorin. They **kidnapped** my grandfather, your _son's_ great-grandfather. They **slaughtered** _your_ father. And you believe something they tell you? Just like that?"

"But Fili – they could talk our language. They took the time to learn, that has to mean something, right?"

"Yeah, that they're tired of not understanding what we say and do during battles! They're not trying to become a civilized people, Nàin! They are **Orcs**. Do you hear me, _Orcs_."

Nàin looked down at her hands, lost for words. All she knew was that her heart did not believe his words, and it bothered her so much that she could barely look at him.

"They said something about their master possibly hearing them… and they felt frightened about it. Like they didn't want to be found," she said quietly before looking up at him. "That's why I think that the Orcs you're killing out there, are trying to get to them. 'Cause like you said, it's weird and Orcs have never tried to be civilized…"

"Nàin…"

"But I think these Orcs are different. Maybe we happened to get right in the middle of something here-"

"Nàin!"

She stopped talking and stared up into his eyes, seeing the annoyance and the betrayal in his eyes.

"I don't care what you think of the Orcs, even if it's completely wrong of you to think like that, not to mention dangerous… But you didn't tell me… You didn't tell me that the Orcs were there. What if they hadn't been as 'friendly' as you're telling me? What if they wanted to follow us? What if they had hurt you or our unborn child? You didn't tell me. You didn't let me protect you."

"Because I didn't need protection and because I knew that they weren't going to do anything," said Nàin. "They wanted to tell me to let them be, and in return they let me go. I was okay-"

"But what if you weren't? How can I…"

"What Fili?" she asked quietly, barely not wanting to hear what he had to say.

"How can I trust you if you can't even tell me that?"

Nàin stood up, gently taking his hands in hers, "You can trust me, because I am yours. You can trust me, I promise. Besides, we always tell each other the truth, even if it takes a long time to, right?" she said, trying to smile at him. "You kept the Orcs even being up there from me for a long time. But you told me and I was alright with it. Because you eventually told me."

"This is different."

"How?" she declared.

He removed his hands from hers, looking her deep in the eyes, "Because you not only lied about having been in danger, but you let our unborn child get in danger as well. And for what? Because you were curious about the talking Orcs!"

"Fee-"

"No. I don't want to hear it," declared Fili, looking away from her, his eyes filled with emotions and unanswered questions, yet the darkness she had seen in there, the darkness from Thorin's eyes, was evident as well. And it scared her even more than the words that he uttered after a while, "I need some time."

Without looking at her, he turned away from her and exited the chamber, leaving her standing by the bed, alone. Her lips were still parted from having wanted to call after him, though her voice had not worked and had let him get away from her. And when the door closed behind him, she flinched.

A single tear rolled down her cheek…

* * *

 **5 months later**

 _Dear Nàin and Fili,_

 _It has been so long now since we met, and yet I have not forgotten a single moment of our journey together. In fact, I would rather like to re-live it again. Life in the Shire seems boring compared to the life I had with the Company of Thorin Oakenshield. Though I am not complaining! To be home again, to sit beside the fire in the evenings with my pipe and some tea, is not completely wrong after all. I rather enjoy it still. But it feels lonely as well. The Hobbits in the Shire do not look at me the same anymore, as they know I have been on an adventure. Gandalf is sure enough not looked upon in the same way anymore. Instead he is now officially a "disturber of the peace". What an odd folk we Hobbits are, but that is who we are, yet I cannot say that I am not proud to be a little different from them._

 _Speaking of Thorin, how is he? And how is Kili? I have sent them both letters as well, as have I sent Bofur and Balin some letters, though I would like to hear it from you as well, as they, especially Thorin, may not be truthful to me so to not worry me._

 _And how are you? If my heart tells me no lies, I would assume there are many tiny little Dwarves running around the Lonely Mountain already? At the very least, I do hope there are. I can see no one else, but you, my dear Nàin, being a loving and caring mother._

 _I hope to hear from you soon,_

 _Yours truly,_

 _Bilbo Baggins._

She smiled, gently putting the letter back down on the desk before her. She gently placed her hand on her stomach which was, with less than a month to go, huge. Her midwife had told her the exact reason for it, though she had not yet told Fili. In fact, there were a lot of things she had yet to tell Fili. Though he, unless Thor was around, never really spoke to her anymore. He needed time, that she knew and understood, but he was taking a lot of time, and she did not want to give birth while he was still mad at her. Yet how was she going to get him to talk to her if he avoided her? Even during the evenings, Fili always made sure that he went to bed after Nàin had fallen asleep or was too tired to talk, and he always made sure that he got up before she did in the mornings. It hurt her, to say the least, though she knew not what to do about it. Instead, she prayed to Mahal that something else would come up that would make him talk to her, that something might happen, or that someone might interfere. It all reminded her too much of when Fili and Nàin were on bad terms at the beginning of the quest for Erebor, and with those memories once more awakened, her heart felt even more burdened.

Taking out a pen and a piece of paper, she began to write an answer to Bilbo. It had been the first time she had heard from him and all in all, she was completely thrilled that her friend had not forgotten about her yet. Of course, she had not thought he would either after such an adventure, though one could never know.

The door to the office opened, and Thor, Fili and Kili entered. They were laughing at something, which made Nàin smile.

"Hey," she greeted them, only getting a smile back from Kili and Thor.

Kili lifted Thor up to sit on Nàin's desk, while Fili went to sit in front of his.

"We got a letter from Bilbo, you want to read it?" asked Nàin with a smile, looking over at her husband.

He glanced her way once, looking at the letter she reached out to him once, before snatching it from her with a forced smile, though never looking her in the eyes. Thor did not notice, though Kili grimaced the way he always did lately when he was in the same room as the two of them.

"You too? Me and uncle got one too. I think the rest of the company did too," smiled Kili, standing beside Thor, making sure he did not fall off the edge.

"It's very sweet of him, right?" asked Nàin, looking over at Fili, though not getting an answer.

She looked down at the piece of paper where she was going to write her answer, though she suddenly felt at a loss for words and decided to wait with a reply. Her heart ached too much with Fili being so close to her, ignoring her. For five months he had not hugged her or touched her. The closest they had come to physical contact was during dinners, when his arm occasionally brushed against hers due to their chairs being so close to each other.

"I think I'll go to dinner," she said. "Anyone else coming?"

"Me, me!" exclaimed Thor, reaching out his little arms to her.

She smiled, stood up, and lifted Thor from the desk. Kili stiffened, "Should you be carrying Thor while, uh, pregnant?"

"I'm pregnant, not badly injured," joked Nàin before shaking her head. "I'll be fine. You two coming?"

Fili stayed quiet while Kili shook his head, glancing at his brother, "We'll come soon. Just gotta do something first."

"Sure," said Nàin, glancing over at her husband, "could you begin writing a reply? I thought it could be nice if we both wrote separate replies to give him more to read?"

Fili nodded his head, not looking up at her, "Sounds great honey."

It was a monotone reply and he used a word for her he never actually used, yet at it was at least a reply and some sort of acknowledgment of her.

"See you soon," said Kili as Nàin and Thor left, a saddened look on Nàin's face.

When the door closed behind them, Kili turned to Fili, "When are you going to start talking to her again?"

Fili calmly put the letter back down on his desk, retrieving a pen, some ink and some paper from a drawer before looking up at his brother, "When I want to."

"I think you've given her enough punishment, Fili," he argued. "It's not healthy like this."

"She lied to me," said Fili, looking up at his brother. "I need to have her and my children close to me, and I need to know that I can trust what they say."

At the look in his eyes, the dark look in his eyes, Kili stepped back a step. Fili did not notice though, but instead diverted his eyes down at the letter he was writing in front of him.

"Fili, you feeling alright?"

"Perfectly fine. Just… feeling betrayed."

Kili nodded his head, seeing the look. The look Nàin had seen a while back in Fili's eyes as well. The look they recognized from Thorin…

"Anyway, I think the new training sessions for our troops is a good idea. We gotta take out those Orcs someday, right?"

"Just, don't tell Nàin about it," said Fili, pointing a finger at him. "She thinks they're innocent."

Kili nodded his head, scoffing slightly at the word innocent before turning serious, "Right, I won't tell her. Just like last time when _you_ lied to her."

"Thank you Kili," said Fili, looking away from his brother. "You can go eat, I'll be there shortly. Oh, and, on your way down there, could you tell Bofur to start the repairs in the lower levels of the mountain? We're nearly there, but we need some extra repairs on some of those rooms."

"Sure thing, Fee…"

He stayed put for a while, simply taking in the new way his brother acted and looked before he turned and left. He needed to discuss this with Nàin; badly. Though he did not know where to start…

* * *

 **Lots of anger from Fili's side here, but there's a reason for why he's acting slightly irrational. You'll see in the upcoming chapters ;)**


	14. Chapter 14, Collapse

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 14  
Collapse**

* * *

The next day was one of those days that all royals dread. Well, at least the King and the Queen dreaded those days. Ruling a kingdom was not easy, though it was ten times as difficult on those particular days when the doors to the throne room was open to everyone.

Why?

Because on those days, the King and Queen had to sit for _hours_ on their thrones, listening to complaints and reports from their own Dwarves and sometimes also from some Men of Dale.

Some complaints were more directed towards Nàin, who often dealt more with the things involving women and families, while other things were directed more towards Fili who dealt more with the repairs of the mountain and the safety. Though the two had always worked hard together, and therefore, both King and Queen dealt with mostly everything together – on good days. As of late, due to Fili's lack of acknowledgment of Nàin, their duties became more separated than they had been before, which saddened Nàin much.

When the doors finally closed, Nàin leaned back in her seat, resting her hands over her aching stomach. It was not just her stomach which ached after such an intense day, but also her back, her legs, her feet and arms. Not to mention her neck. During her last pregnancy, Fili did not allow her to sit down on these days with him, and would report back to her after the doors had been closed. Though Fili barely looked at her and probably did not even know how far along she actually already was.

"What a day…" breathed Nàin, one of the servants grabbing the notes she had made during the day of errands she had to fulfil the upcoming day to help those citizens who had come to her for help.

Fili stood up, not replying to her nor looking at her. Usually, those actions tugged at her heart painfully, though she was in too much pain to actually care right then and there. Dwalin walked over to help her up from her throne and she smiled at him kindly, thanking him quietly.

From the corner of her eye she could see Fili and Thorin walking away, seeming in a deep conversation.

"Who has Thor?" asked Nàin as she lifted her arms up to stretch out her limbs and back.

"Kili, I believe. They'll be here shortly," replied Dwalin with a soft smile, still holding his hand on her back, as if he was afraid she would fall over.

She noticed, though could not bother to comment on it. Most male Dwarves seemed to think that the large belly was making it difficult for her to keep her balance, when in fact all her senses were ten times as strong while pregnant, which included her balance.

Just as Dwalin had said, Kili soon arrived to the throne room through one of the smaller doors, the same door Fili and Thorin had left through, which led mostly towards the Market and the lower levels of the mountain. She wondered what they had done there. Dis followed behind them, holding a basket of small goods such as toys and clothing, and she figured they had been to the Market with Thor.

Kili balanced Thor on his hip, wearing the armour he always wore when practising with his men.

"Hey, baby," she called, holding out her arms for Thor.

"We went to the market," said Thor with a happy smile.

"You didn't want to join us? Someday you'll have to learn this as well and-"

"No," said Thor quickly before leaning his head on her shoulder.

Nàin shared a look with Kili and Dis, and immediately caught a hint of guilt in Kili's eyes which she had to ask him about at some point.

"Shall we then?" asked Nàin with a soft smile before the four of them began to walk themselves towards the larger staircase which would lead them all the way up to the Halls of the Royals.

"How did everything go?" asked Dis curtly.

"Quite well. Even Dwalin got a request today," smirked Nàin.

"That's highly inappropriate!" exclaimed Dis, her cheeks turning slightly red out of anger. "If you go to the throne hall, you go to see the King and Queen."

"Mother…" breathed Kili with a roll of his eyes before diverting his glance to Nàin, "What was the request?"

"Remember Ersâ?" asked Nàin, earning a nod from Kili and a confused look from Dis.

"Who?"

The three of them, with Thor still resting on Nàin's hips, turned a corner to continue climbing the stairs.

"She's a tinkerer under Bofur. I think she's friends with Nori… They might have some history. Anyway, she entered the throne hall and everyone thought we were going to hear another complaint about there not being enough metal at the moment to serve all tinkerers, which is a fault from whoever handed out the weekly supplies by the way, but instead she walked over to Dwalin and asked _for his hand in marriage!_ "

Kili nearly jumped out of his skin upon hearing what had happened and Nàin laughed at his reaction while Dis simply narrowed her eyes at Kili's reaction.

"But Dwalin is-"

"Born simply a couple years before me," stated Dis.

"Not old at all," corrected Kili just in time, causing Nàin to bite her lip. "What did he say!?"

"He said he would think about it," giggled Nàin. "Oh, we haven't had a marriage in two months!"

"It would cheer up some of my men. They have been working non-stop and could need a break," sighed Kili.

"Why have you been pushing them so hard?" asked Nàin curiously.

"Oh… Just, because, I… wanted… to…"

Nàin glanced over at Kili who avoided her glance, at which she sighed.

"Very well then. Keep things from me. You would not be the first to stop talking to me."

"Nàin," warned Dis, casting a meaning glance down at Thor. "How about I take Thor to his father? We haven't seen Fili in a long time."

"You want that?" asked Nàin, glancing down at her son with a smile.

"Yeah," smiled Thor, reaching out his arms to Dis who grabbed him, the three of them pausing in one of the last staircases.

"Well then, lets start climbing down. I assume he's down in the lower levels?" asked Dis, glancing at Kili.

"As always," sighed Kili.

For a little while, Kili and Nàin simply watched Dis and Thor beginning to climb down the staircases again. Thor waved once or twice up at them, and the two waved back with large smiles on their faces. It wasn't until Thor and Dis were out of view that Kili turned to Nàin – the two still standing in the middle of the staircase.

"He's been having nightmares, you know…"

"What? Why has he not told me?" she asked worriedly.

"They have been about you," he explained. "I think he's embarrassed… Or he doesn't want to worry you."

"Embarrassed…" she sighed. "He doesn't have to be embarrassed about that…"

"Nàin, they were very detailed," he stated. "Blood and everything."

"He can barely even pronounce some words, yet his mind can come up with… that?"

Kili shrugged, his eyes flickering down to the floor, "Thorin told me of a theory he had, which was absurd."

"Thorin knows of this too? Let me guess, Fili does too but he 'can't' talk to me," she replied bitterly with a roll of her eyes. "This is _my_ son."

"Fili doesn't know," said Kili calmly. "Don't worry."

"What is the theory?" asked Nàin with yet another sigh.

"That he's Sensitive."

"To what?"

"The future…" he said before shaking his head, "But all things don't come true. There was one nightmare he had a long time ago of you falling of your horse and being attacked by Orcs out in an open field, which didn't happen – why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing… It's – nothing," she said, shaking her head. "The archives are open now, right? I think I heard Ori talk about it."

"Yes, they are. Why?"

"Just figured I could do some research on Sensitive Dwarves… I highly doubt there are many," she said, beginning to climb the last steps up to the Halls of the Royals, Kili following.

"There aren't, according to Thorin, any. But there are Men, and… well… You're part Men."

The guards standing before the doors pushed them open for Nàin and Kili, allowing them entrance to the Halls of the Royals.

"Well, I'm glad you told me," said Nàin, stopping before her chambers. "Thank you."

"It's not all I wanted to discuss with you," said Kili, fidgeting with a piece of his armour. "It's about Fili."

Nàin looked away from Kili and breathed in a deep breath, "I'd rather not do that now. I ache everywhere and I'm tired – "

"I know, but it's important," he pressed, "please."

At the pleading look in his eyes, and the stressed look on his face, Nàin opened her chambers and let him in so they could speak in private, "Alright. What is it?"

"Yesterday, I noticed something in Fili-"

"Oh no, not you too," said Nàin with a shaky voice.

"You noticed it too? The look… _The_ look."

"Yes… I saw it the last time he talked to me; _properly_ talked to me. He was angry with me because I had lied to him. He never gets angry as long as I tell him the truth in time… And I never lied, I just didn't tell him something."

"I think that qualifies as lying, Nàin," smirked Kili, earning a huff from Nàin. "But I know what you mean. He talked about betrayal and wanting to keep you all close to him, and I saw it."

"A wanting…"

"Yeah. But not for gold, so it can't be the same. It can't be the Dragon Sickness," dismissed Kili. "We would have noticed it earlier then too, right?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't know," sighed Nàin. "You know what?"

Kili watched as Nàin walked over to her bed-side table, where she had asked the servant to place the notes she had made during the day for errands to do the following day. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she grabbed the notes, retrieved a smaller book from one of the drawers, along with a pen and some ink.

"I think I'll have a research day tomorrow. We need to know more about Sensitive Men, and the Dragon Sickness," said Nàin, writing those two things down in her book.

"You realize there won't be any information on that in a Dwarven archive, right? Sensitive Men are not Dwarves, so it won't be there. And the Dragon Sickness… It was a myth for a long time, and when Thror did fall for it, I doubt anyone wrote information down."

Nàin sighed, "I can at least try. Besides, Thror will have had someone like Ori by his side, which means someone might have written down notes on Thror and his behaviour."

"You really should rest tomorrow," urged Kili, sitting down next to her. "You're already paling now and you need the rest."

"I can't… Because if I do, I'll acknowledge the fact that I'm already so close to giving birth and Fili is still not talking to me… I _won't_ give birth until Fili has forgiven me. By doing the things I normally do, I won't have to think about it."

"That's not how it works," said Kili gently, his hands taking the book and notes from her. "I'll do it. You rest."

"You have your men to train, which you do every day nowadays for a reason you won't tell me," urged Nàin, taking the notes back from him.

Gently, and with Kili obviously noticing it, she placed her hand on her stomach. A small twitch in her brow told Kili she truly was aching.

"I promised Fili…"

"Where is Fili anyway? Where does he hold up all day long?" asked Nàin, looking over at Kili, storing her notes and book back into the bedside table.

"He's down in the lower parts of Erebor – hasn't he told you this? They're nearly done with the repairs. Soon, Erebor will be back to the state it was in before Smaug came. We're nearly there," smiled Kili.

Nàin could, however, not smile. Instead, she looked down at her lap, a saddened look on her face.

"This was not how I wished it to go. We were going to rule together, and we were going to help each other."

Gently, Kili placed a hand on her shoulder, "He'll come back again. He can't resist you after all."

"I've missed five months… And I've missed the last of the repairs…" A confident look replaced her saddened one before she stood up, "Lets go down there."

"Nàin, it's dangerous and you're-"

"Pregnant, yes. I've noticed," she retorted as she passed him by.

With a sigh, Kili stood up as well and followed her, determined to at least not let her go down there on her own.

* * *

The lowest level of the mountain was where the mines resided. Out of all the things that had broken, the mines had been the first to be repaired – especially since the company felt slightly responsible for destroying parts of it. The last thing that was to be repaired was on the second lowest level of the mountain, and it was to this level that Nàin and Kili were walking towards. That very level was for storage of various larger things such as war equipment and mining equipment. There would be some habitable accommodations on the west side of the second lowest level, though not a lot of Dwarves preferred to live there as the heat from the mines seeped through the ground and warmed up the entire level.

One of the larger storage rooms had a weak ceiling, and that weak ceiling was the very thing the Dwarves were still working on; and also the last thing that needed repairing. After the ceiling was made, the mountain would be almost the same as before Smaug's attack on it; a day that would be huge and always remembered by the Dwarves. Most likely, it would become another holiday and another day to feast on.

Little did the Dwarves know it would not be that day…

Nàin, followed by Kili, briskly walked over to the Dwarves watching the repairs; amongst which Fili, Thor and Dis could be found. Bofur, Nori and some other Dwarves were currently staring up at the ceiling, pointing and discussing something.

"How are things going?"

Her voice startled Fili, making him turn around swiftly, "What are you – What is she doing here!?" Fili looked quite angrily at Kili as though he was to blame, though before Kili could defend himself, Nàin stepped forwards.

"I wanted to go down here… If you wanna yell at someone, yell at me," she said and although Fili's eyes flickered over to her and she could visibly see that he wanted to, he simply sighed and turned back around again. "Mahal… Talk to me!"

"Nàin, calm down please," said Dis, putting down Thor and walking over to her. "You are stressing out which is not good for the baby."

"It's not my fault, that's his fault! Anyway… I wanted to see the reparations. The _last_ of the reparations," said Nàin before glaring over at the back of Fili's head. " _That's_ why I'm here."

"Very well… Thor," said Dis, turning back around to grab her grandson, though not finding him there. "What… Thor?"

Nàin's eyes went from where she had last seen Thor, to Fili, back to Kili and then over to Dis again. He was nowhere in sight. Then, with a heavy heart, she looked over at the reparations being made, not noticing Fili turning around towards and her and talking to her.

"If I talk to you, will you leave? It's dangerous here… Please, just go. It's not good for you here," he said with a quiet voice.

Kili placed a hand on Nàin's shoulder, smiling widely, "I told you he would come back again!"

Though Nàin did not reply, she was staring with wide eyes at something ahead of her. Dis was the first to notice, and looked over at the reparations as well, immediately putting her hands over her mouth before springing into action.

"Thor! Come back here this instance!"

Fili and Kili quickly turned their heads to look as well and to their horror, they saw Thor standing exactly where one was not allowed to stand until the reparations were over with. Not even the Dwarves who were working with the reparations were foolish enough to stand there in case something bad happened – He was standing directly underneath of the collapsible ceiling with neither of the Dwarves working on the ceiling noticing as they had turned their backs while bickering about something.

Nàin was about to walk over and grab her son, though Fili stopped her from moving, instead beginning to run himself, all the while shouting Thor's name. Though the little boy could speak quite well, he could not understand what was stressing his parents out so much and simply waved at his mother the way he always did when he saw her.

Things would have gone well, had someone noticed Thor being missing earlier.

A rumble was felt throughout the hallway they were standing in and Fili begun to run faster, recognizing that rumble even before Bofur had time to shout out what was happening.

"It's collapsing!"

Bofur saw the little boy standing in the room and begun to run inside as well, though Nori and the others held him back. A couple of Dwarves grabbed Fili before he could enter as well – which was a good thing as the ceiling suddenly burst and collapsed. A bloodcurdling scream was heard coming from Nàin before she collapsed to the ground, clutching both stomach and heart. Fili stopped mid-track, not sure whether his wife's scream or the sight of his little boy disappearing under the rubble was the thing that was causing him to feel paralyzed.

"Guards!" called Kili from behind Fili.

"Oh Durin let that boy had survived…" breathed Bofur.

"Search it…" ordered Fili in a whisper, only Bofur having heard it. Bofur's eyes lingered slightly longer on Fili before he called out the order to the other Dwarves and the moment the dust had settled, each Dwarf that could begun to move debris. Though it would take a while before anything was found.

A hand was placed on Fili's shoulder, which awoke him slightly from the paralysation he found himself in, "Fee, your wife needs you… There's something wrong with the baby."

"What?" he asked, looking over at who had spoken and finding his mother. "Thor…"

Dis looked over at the rubble before sighing, "I'll keep you up to date about Nàin… Stay here for Thor."

Fili nodded, following Dis with his eyes until she reached Nàin. He instantly regretted his decision as he saw Nàin half-unconscious on the stone-cold ground, some guards standing around her while Kili was crouched in front of her, his mouth moving quickly as he spoke to her, probably trying to keep her awake. Fili felt conflicted. He had a duty with Nàin, the wife he had been neglecting for so long now and who had collapsed out of pure fear for her son's well-being, yet at the same time he also had a duty to his son who might be down there, alive and afraid.

He could do nothing more but watch as they carried off Nàin, earning a nod from Kili who followed Nàin, silently promising Fili to take care of her.

* * *

 **I think that from now on I'll start 'replying' to comments. I've seen some people do just that and I don't want to send PM's to people (which I can't even do to everyone as some are guests) 'cause that just feels weird, so I'll start replying on updates instead. That is when I get a comment XD I'll start doing that in next week though :) so far, thanks for the support and love guys, it means a lot :)**


	15. Chapter 15, Returns and Possible Losses

**Before we continue with the chapter, I just want to talk to you guys for a little while. You see, I'm moving in two weeks, and where I'm moving, there won't be enough internet for me to stream movies. (It's complicated and weird, but for some reason they didn't have fiber there and getting fiber will take a looong time). All that it really means is that I will have to come up with a way to follow the LOTR movies without seeing them. I do have them on DVD, but I don't want to constantly pause and rewind a DVD 'cause I don't think the disc will be very happy with me if I do that. And the LOTR movies are quite precious to me :P So, that will mean that, when the time comes, I don't think I'll be able to follow the movies as much as I wanted to. Instead, I might go my own way with the story and when I need to, I'll follow the books instead. I'm sure it will still be fine, as things won't go the way Jackson makes things go anyway because of Nàin and Fili's family members possible joining the fellowship - but I just wanted to give you guys a heads-up about that.**

 **Now, to the reviews. First off, I just want to say thanks for the support this has gotten so far. It's not much, but it's waaay more than I thought it would get XD**

 **Aranel Mereneth (guest): Thanks for the review and continuous support! I think this chapter will shine some light on what is wrong with Fili. ;)**

 **animexchick: Thanks for the continuous support! Hehe, I hope this knocks some sense into Fili too. But I suppose we'll see in this chapter and the next!**

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 15  
Returns and Possible Losses**

* * *

Fili stood before the rubble, the dust still only settling after the collapse. His wife's scream was still echoing through his mind while multiple Dwarves had come to begin moving the rubble. A hand was laid on his shoulder, moving him out of the way for the Dwarves. Fili recognized the hand almost immediately, recognizing the weight and the confidence behind the grip on his shoulder.

"I think we need to talk," said Thorin's voice, though Fili did not react, simply continuing to stare at the rubble.

"My son it underneath of there…"

"He may not-"

"I know," snapped Fili, glaring over at Thorin who immediately let go of his shoulder. "I know… My family means the world to me."

"It's what your heart beats for. It gives you power," explained Thorin, using the exact words Fili had been going to use, causing Fili to glance over at his uncle with a wondering look. "I recognize that. It's what I feel about this mountain… About this kingdom. Fili, when everything has settled, your mother and I truly need to talk to you."

"About what?" he asked quietly, his eyes wandering back over to the rubble again.

"You'll see," sighed Thorin.

* * *

Kili was pacing back and forth. Everything had gone downhill after he had not stopped Nàin from going down there. The weight of this all being his fault was pressing down on his shoulders, causing his heart to beat fast, thumping against is chest painfully. His nephew meant the world to him. The connection the two had gotten during the time Nàin and Fili had been gone was almost as strong as the connection he had with his own brother. He loved that little boy, almost the same way that he loved Nàin. And now, both of them were in grave danger.

The last thing Kili had seen of Nàin had been when she was carried inside of the nursery-room. She had been preparing that room for quite some time; the bed had already been made and been prepared for when she would go into labour and the small crib that once had belong to Thor was all ready to hold a new baby. Much to Kili's surprise, however, he had seen a second crib stand next to the one Thor had once possessed. She had added that one later, he was sure of. Though why, he did not know.

When they had carried her inside, she had been unconscious. The entire way up, he had been holding her hand, telling her everything would be alright; lying to her, as she cried out in pain. Whether the pain was physical or emotional, he was not sure of. Though the way she was sweating and squeezing his hand, he imagined it was both.

Kili's mother had come out of the nursery a few minutes ago. Her face had been pale and she was quieter than he had ever seen her. It only worried him more.

"Stop pacing…" she said quietly as she sat on a chair stood next to the door. "It's making me more nervous."

He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I allowed her down there-"

"Stop," said Dis, raising a hand. "I will not listen to both my sons complaining about it being their faults. Yes, maybe you allowed her to go down there and yes, maybe this would not have happened had Fili not been – well – affected by certain dark forced here in this mountain. But honestly, do you think you could have made sure she would not have gone down there? Did you think that you could actually have stopped her? She is a strong woman. Strong enough to make her own decisions and strong enough to pull through this. So don't blame yourself, son. This is no one's fault."

Kili sighed, looking away from his mother. Before he knew it, she appeared before him, gently grabbing his face in between her hands. There was a certain softness in her eyes which he had missed. The same softness that had been there many times before when Kili had been younger; a motherly touch that he and Fili adored so much about her. She was a true Dwarf. Stout, proud and with a tough skin. But inside, she was also what every female in Middle-Earth could be and had in them – a true mother; soft, caring and lovable. The braids in her beard told the world about her being a mother to two sons, though Kili had yet to see that motherly side again since she had moved to Erebor. Thorin had been what she had occupied herself with, and also the strange task of trying to get Erebor to follow the old rules; complaining about every new idea Fili and Nàin brought forward.

Gently, she embraced her son, holding him close to her while he buried his face against the crook of her neck. It brought back memories of the past; of their time in the Blue Mountains whenever Kili would be sad about something as a little boy. Mostly it would be about not getting to do what his big brother got to do, but sometimes it would also just be him asking for attention from his mother. Dwarves were not loving the way Nàin was with Thor unless there was a reason for it. Dis hugging Kili right then and there, meant that there truly was a reason for it and Kili feared for what Dis had seen in the nursery.

"Dark forces?"

Dis pulled away at his question, looking him straight in the eyes, "Did you think the Dragon Sickness could only manifest itself into a wanting of gold?"

"Well… Dragons like gold and treasure, so yeah," shrugged Kili.

"You're right. That is where the name comes from. And what Thorin and Thror had was not entirely what Fili has-"

"What do you mean? Is Fili okay?"

"Quiet, my boy," hushed Dis, gently stroking a thumb over his cheekbone. "Fili cares not for treasure or gold. Yet he sits on that throne, soaking up the Dragon Sickness that surrounds it. It's taken a toll on his heart and turned the Sickness into something else. He cares for his family."

"He _cares_ for his family," said Kili, realization dawning on him. "The way Thror cared about gold and power."

"Exactly," she said quietly. "I fear this whole incident may cause you to have to take on Fili's duties for a while, son."

Kili nodded, understanding what she meant, "What of Nàin? Is she alright?"

Dis retracted her hands from his face, her eyes looking away from him for a split second before returning to his. The compassion she had showed for him was gone, replaced by a complete sorrow that created a fear inside of him.

"Mother?"

"Indeed she is in labour. But she refuses to give birth before Fili has forgiven her. And Fili won't let Thornoid alone now," sighed Dis. "She's endangering herself… I fear she may not make it."

* * *

Rocks upon rocks were moved away from the rubble, yet there was no sign of Thor, no sign of the little young Dwarfling…

Terror and pain was all Fili could feel. He was helping to move the rocks, which he had forced himself to do after he had finally gotten over the shock of what had just happened. His wife's scream was still echoing in his head, though he was trying to push it away and focus on making both of their pain go away – which could only be done by finding Thor alive and well.

If he had been crushed underneath of that rubble, Fili might never recover from it and Erebor would have yet another failed King.

Hours passed and sweat was literally flowing down Fili's forehead and back. Thorin was still there, quietly watching along with Balin. Dwalin, who had arrived with his brother, helped Fili moving rocks along with the other Dwarves who had been in charge of the renovation. Things were moving along nicely and half of the chamber had already been cleaned up, though Thor was still nowhere to be seen. However, there was something to be heard.

Fili was the first to hear it, not being able to miss the sound of his own son calling out to him. He froze on the spot, Dwalin walking over to him to ask what was wrong. Though before Dwalin could open his mouth, Fili has pushed past him and run over to the large rocks of ceiling left to be moved, pressing his hands against them and calling Thor's name. Dwalin and Bofur watched on in silence, looks on their faces that told everyone else that Fili had finally lost it – until they suddenly heard it too: A muffled voice calling out 'Daddy!' could be heard as clear as daylight.

"Everybody, move quickly!" ordered Bofur.

Dwalin walked over to Fili gently pulling his King away from the rubble so the other Dwarves could work on getting to Thor. The relief Dwalin felt at having heard the little boy's calls was nothing compared to what Fili was feeling. And before soon, Bofur was waving Fili over to them, a small outstretched hand reaching out from underneath of the rocks. Fili grabbed onto it, gently pulling Thor out.

He had not been hurt. All he needed was a bath to clean away the dust that had fallen onto him. Somehow – thank Mahal for it – Thor had managed to get stuck right underneath of two boulders who had crashed against each other, only to leave a small space inbetween each other. The small space had saved Thor from the rubble, keeping him unharmed. It was a miracle to say the least, yet Fili did not think about that. As he embraced his son, holding him in his arms as he walked away from the rubble, all he could feel was love. Pure love.

"Don't wander off ever again," whispered Fili into Thor's ear, earning a small nod from the child. "Not unless you have our permission."

"Fili-" began Thorin as he walked over to the pair of them. The rest of the Dwarves were laughing and clapping their hands, joyful over having their prince back – however, neither of the Royal Family nor their friends were happy in any way. Of course they were happy about having Thor back, though there were still things looming over them; Nàin.

"Let's go see your mother," said Fili, ignoring Thorin, Dwalin and Balin as he began to walk away from the rubble, his son balanced on his hip.

In his head, he hoped that with him returning with Thor, Nàin would smile at him again and forgive his foolishness. That she would feel better and hug the both of them and that their relationship would return to what it was.

"Fili," called Thorin again, catching up to him with Balin and Dwalin behind him. "We did not want to tell you this before-"

Fili stopped walking, turning his face towards the three of them and noticing Thorin's eyes glancing down at Thor with uncertain eyes. Fili understood that whatever Thorin had to say, he did not want to say it in front of Thor, though Fili was not about to let go of Thor yet.

"Yes?" he pressed for his uncle to keep talking.

"Nàin is not waking up."


	16. Chapter 16, Mourning and Upcoming Wars

**This was very saddening to write... And at the same time alarmingly easy as well. Of course, seeing as most of you probably have read the first part, you will know she makes it as she goes to the council in Rivendell at the end of part 1 :P but it's still sad and I'm working on making her recovery a real plot-twist (hehe)**

 **Now, to the reviews. But first, I want to thank those who followed and favorited. Means a lot to me :)**

 **animexchick: Well, as I said above, she has to survive somehow seeing as we saw a glimpse into the 'future' at the end of part 1, but how she survives this will, hopefully, be super interesting... If I get it right :P Thanks for the review and your continuous support! :D**

 **Aranel Mereneth (Guest): Omg, yes, he does have A LOT to fix with his wife XD Thank you for your support and review! :D**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 16  
Mourning and Upcoming Wars  
**

* * *

From a small window right underneath of the ceiling, the moonlight was shining in over the room, illuminating the nursery with its white, transcending light. Fili was sitting on a chair in a corner, staring out over the large bed where his wife lay. The white moonlight was cast on her pale face, making it look even paler than it already was. Her long eyelashes cast a shadow down under her eyes, creating an illusion of dark circles under her eyes that were not there. Though this light's illusions were not half-wrong. Nàin was pale as a ghost and she did have dark circles under her eyes. The moonlight was only intensifying what was already there.

In a way, it seemed to mock him; the moonlight. It seemed to be telling him what he had done to his wife. What he had wanted was to protect her and keep her safe and his anger towards her had only been there because she always made it so difficult for him to do just that. And now with Thornoid and the new babies, Fili could _only_ think about keeping them all safe. Though his anger had been misguided. He should not have been angry in the first place: this he saw now; now that his wife was at the brink of joining Mahal in the Halls of Mandos and it was too late for Fili to ask for her forgiveness. No, not ask, _beg_.

He redirected his gaze to the two cribs standing at the other end of the room, facing the bed of Nàin. When Fili had first entered the room and seen his wife laying there half dead, he had been so afraid that those cribs would be empty. Yet, they were not. There, in the cribs, lay two healthy new-borns. Albeit he was beyond surprised at the fact that there were _two_ cribs in the nursery, he was far too delighted to ask anyone why he had not known about the fact that his wife was expecting twins. Not only that, but he had a vague idea of why he hadn't known it and didn't want to ask anyone because his pride got in the way.

One new-born was smaller than the other and was wrapped up in the same blanket Thornoid had been wrapped up in when he was first born. His new son, which he had yet to give a name (something he did not really want to do without his wife's presence), was so small Fili barely dared to touch him. Yet, when he had gently placed two fingers against his son's cheek to greet him, he had also overcome with a wave of love which only made him want to hold the baby for the rest of his life. In the crib next to his son, lay his new little daughter. She was larger and had clearly taken up most of the space in her mother's belly. Her eyes were more curious than her brother's, always staring up at Fili the moment he got near the cribs, though he doubted she could still see much through her infant eyes. He had never really expected to have a daughter seeing as females were not often born. Then again, his wife was not fully Dwarf and might have it easier to give birth to daughters than he had first anticipated. The love he harboured for his daughter, however, was different. He did not like the fact that he already now had a different, almost stronger, love for his daughter as he did not want to have favourites or treat any of his children different just because of their gender or what they could accomplish in life. Yet there she lay, in her crib, wrapped up in a blanket Dis had quickly made for the little girl, taking up more of Fili's heart than he thought any living creature could ever do.

The door opened and a gush of candlelight entered through the open doorway, revealing to Fili Nàin's true face and colour, which, to his relief, indeed was not as bad as the moonlight made it seem. Kili entered, wearing his nightclothes and holding a small candle in his hand. He closed the door behind him.

"Fili, I-" he began, though he cut himself off as Fili looked over at his brother. The pain Fili knew was evident in his eyes must have either startled his brother or given him the answer to whatever Kili had wanted to say or ask him, for Kili simply let out a sigh at his brother's look before setting down the candle on a nearby table.

He took a step towards Fili, who was still staring up at Kili, though seemed to hesitate and instead walk over to Nàin, sitting down next to her unconscious form.

"She was strong…" mumbled Kili, gently taking Nàin's hand in his own.

When Fili had first arrived at the nursery with Thor still in his arms, Dis had told Fili the entire story before letting him in to see his wife. She had told him of the pain, the struggle and the blood. All of it. But also that Kili had refused to leave Nàin's side and had stayed with her until she had closed her eyes, letting out a sigh of pain as the last baby was delivered to the world.

"At first she did not want to do it, not before having apologized to you… But then, she held on until her children were safe," continued Kili, holding Nàin's cold hand in a firm grip, as though it would help her to find back to her body and once more smile up at them. "It was beautiful to see…"

"I have never seen a birth," said Fili monotonously.

"Mother nearly dragged me out of there, thinking it strange that a man got to see it… Though I stayed. She seemed so scared, Fili…"

"Thank you," said Fili, his voice breaking.

Kili straightened up, though did not turn to face his brother. Instead, Fili walked over to him, his legs feeling shaky as he had been sitting in that chair all day, only standing up when his new-born babies needed him, or Thor. Thor, who was not allowed to see his mother in such a way, had not spoken a word since he heard of his mother's illness, and had knocked on the door a few times, only to give his father a hug and then be off again. Albeit a lot was going wrong with Thor's upbringing, Fili could not help but think they had done a good job on him and that he was stronger than other children his age; more mature and understanding.

"Talk to me Fee."

Fili was stood before Kili, staring at his brother's and his wife's intertwined fingers. A twinge of jealousy hit him which he pushed away immediately.

"About what?"

Kili finally turned his head to look at him, "Everything."

"I just want to protect the-"

"No, about the look in your eyes when you say it. The same look Thorin has in his on _bad days_. Fee, talk to me about it."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," muttered Fili, furrowing his brow in true confusion. "What look?"

"Thorin has talked to you yet, right?"

"No… He did say he had something important to say," remembered Fili.

"Well, then I won't say much more. All I'm saying is, this Sickness he has, may not always cover gold and richness…"

Fili stumbled back, looking away from Kili. The words hit him harder than Kili had anticipated and, prepared for anything, he let go of Nàin's hand and tensed up, watching his brother with worry fluttering through his heart.

"You mean I've been trying to… You mean… I'm not sick like that," breathed Fili before his face contorted in pain, the words obviously making sense to him, "Oh Nàin!"

He lunged forward, brushing past Kili still sat on the bed as he fell against the bed, one hand on Nàin's cheek and one holding onto her arm, grasping onto her for dear life.

"Brother," called Kili soothingly, pressing a hand against his back, "don't blame yourself."

"You said it yourself, she did not want to give in until she had apologized to me. To me!"

Whether Fili was crying or not, Kili could not quite tell as his face was turned away from him, though Kili could tell that he was in agony from the way his voice cracked.

"I was, am, the one that should apologize to her! That throne I sit on is poisoned… I should have known, I should have realized…"

"Fee…" breathed Kili, feeling his own emotions bubble up at the sight of his brother, his king, in this state. "Don't do this to yourself…"

"I must. If I don't, if no one punishes me, it might happen again…"

Silence ensued over the brothers, only the faint sound of one of the babies gurgling out a small sound of complaint at having been awoken by his or hers own father's cry being heard. Though the baby soon calmed down again and fell asleep, lulled by the silence that filled the room once more.

While the two brothers stayed like so, silently mourning what could happen to Nàin, the Dwarves of Erebor were silently gathering in the main hall several floors down. Balin, Dwalin, Thorin and Dis were standing on the staircase leading to the rest of the Kingdom, looking over at the gathering Dwarves. It was well past midnight, and not everyone was there, yet still many had gathered, each holding a candle in their hands. It was unclear if people were mourning the loss of a queen, or if they were mourning her having fallen ill, yet still they were there, silently thinking of her while holding their candles up in the air. Earlier that day, the Dwarves of Erebor had celebrated two new additions to the Royal Family, though now that celebration was gone and a sombre atmosphere had risen over the entire Kingdom.

At the front of the group of Dwarves gathered, stood Ori, Nori, Dori, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Oin and Gloin; all with their heads bowed for their past member of the company.

Outside in the city of Dale, Bard and his son were standing on the steps leading up to the mansion. People were standing, gathered, there as well, holding up candles to the air and silently thinking and praying for Nàin. From the corner of his eye, Bard could see the faint sight of the lights the Dwarves were holding up for their queen coming from the entrance hall. Wherever Nàin's soul was, Bard hoped she would see them and gather strength to return to them and her unconscious body.

Though Bard was not the only one who could see the lights. In fact, he was only adding to the lights and making the mourning that was happening in this part of Middle-Earth even more visible to those who were watching from all around them. One in particular was watching the ordeal with narrowed eyes.

Thranduil was, from his balcony, watching the lights he could see from above the treetops of his forest.

 _"They are weak now… If those Orcs decide to attack, Middle Earth might lose Erebor to the enemy."_

Thranduil sighed, hearing his lady's voice loud and clear and almost hating the fact that she was making sense. He had to do something, he had to _help_ the Dwarves.

 _"Darkness is rising again. We have known this since Mithrandil came to us, showing to us the Morgul blade, belonging to Angmar. I saw_ him _, he is alive; wounded and weak, but alive. He will return, and without Erebor to hold the north of Rhovanion, the war will be difficult to win."_

A surge of pleasure and smugness swept through Thranduil at those words, finally having something he could retort with to show to her that things were not as bad as she made it out to be, that he might not have to take his best men to Erebor and to those _Dwarves_ whom he, although they had rather good relations, still did not _like_.

"But, my lady, a war may never come," responded Thranduil. "Sauron may simply fade away after your last attack. We may not have to do anything about such a threat and those Orcs up north may simply want to live there."

 _"You are averting the inevitable due to your hatred towards their kin. But remember, Queen Nàin is nothing like them, and in short, you are doing this for her."_

"I have no choice, do I?" he replied, feeling rather defeated about the matter, and not at all happy about it either.

 _"You are a free man, King Thranduil, and your kingdom follows your orders. But you must realize that if Erebor falls to the enemy, which it will when it is this weak, you will be his next target and then, you have more than only the Orcs to worry about. His eye will be on your kingdom, as it is on Rohan at this moment, and darker forces will penetrate your boarders than those you can see with the eye."_

"Very well… I will leave tomorrow. Though I doubt the King of Erebor will be pleased to see any of us."

 _"From what I know, the King of Erebor will not be pleased to see anyone at the moment. His wife is near death, after all."_

With a sigh, Thranduil looked away from the lights and turned back to his own door, "The loss of a wife is something I can relate to."

 _"Then be patient. Be kind."_

"I will, my lady."


	17. Chapter 17, King Thranduil at the Gates

**A short update, but it's a filler for what is about to happen :) I've decided to shorten things down a bit and only write about what is important for you all to know and understand before we move on to LOTR. So, there'll be four more chapters from pre-movies, maybe some more. Then we start with the movies :)**

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Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 17  
King Thranduil at the Gates**

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Somewhere during their mourning, the two Dwarven brothers had fallen asleep each in equally uncomfortable positions. Fili with his ribs resting against the side of the bed, his legs sprawled out over the floor and his arms still reaching for Nàin's hand, and Kili seated in a chair, his head having lulled back to hang uncomfortably backwards. Kili's uncomfortable position made him snore gently, while Fili was completely silent, only being lightly asleep and dreaming panicky dreams about Nàin in pain.

The door swung open with a bang, awakening both brothers with a start. Kili groaned and rubbed his neck with a painful look on his face, while Fili rubbed his ribs and legs.

"My lords, I-I apologize, but eh..." spoke Kildin, looking from Kili and Fili, clearly avoiding to look at Nàin.

"Speak up," ordered Kili, standing up and seeming to have recovered faster than his brother.

"There are Elves at the front gates, my lord," said Kildin, looking slightly nervous about how they would react to what he had to say, yet also looking cocky about being the first one to inform the royalty of this news.

"Elves? In Erebor?" asked Kili, looking over at his brother who had, upon hearing the news, jumped up to his feet.

"Thorin will not be pleased," said Fili gently, causing Kili to give him a startled look.

"I almost thought you would hate having them here just because they are Elves, not because of what uncle might think," said Kili, voicing his surprise before he realized that Kildin was still standing in the doorway. "Thank you Kildin, we'll be there shortly. Don't let them in yet."

"I'm afraid that will be difficult, sir... King Thranduil is already waiting for the King in the throne hall."

Fili let out a breath as Kildin closed the door behind him, Kili watching him carefully.

"I can handle this brother, if you want to stay with her," said Kili soothingly.

"He specifically asked for me... and he will get me," said Fili, his voice low and stout.

Kili watched as Fili pressed a soft kiss to one of Nàin's hands before he walked over to the cribs where he gave each infant a loving smile before leaving, Kili following him. They saw two of Nàin's maidens rush into the room after they had left, most certainly to tend for Nàin and the babies. Where Thor was, Fili was unsure of.

Upon pushing the large doors leading to the throne room open, Fili, followed by Kili, was met by the sight of Dwalin and Ersâ standing proudly before Thranduil, clearly keeping him from getting any closer to the thrones and the Arkenstone (given back to Fili by Bard himself) attached to Fili's throne. Balin and Thorin were stood next to the thrones, glaring at Thranduil.

Clearly having heard the doors opening, Thranduil turned to look at Fili, not much impressed by Fili's entrance nor appearance. Indeed, had Fili's mother been there, she would have scolded him for not at least wearing the crown when meeting with other kings, though Fili couldn't care less about what was proper at the moment. All he did care about was Nàin's well-being.

"Fili, King under the mountain, I am thankful you wanted to meet with me," said King Thranduil, bowing low.

Coming to a halt infront of Thranduil, Fili just about remembered his manners and bowed himself as well, though not as low as the Elven King had done.

"I hear I had no bigger choice in the matter and that I need better guards to keep those I personally have not asked to enter, in," said Fili, trying his best to keep his voice as neutral as possible.

Thranduil seemed taken aback by the comment and for a while, he seemed very eager to snap back at the Dwarven King in front of him. However, he seemed to bite back whatever comment he had had, simply putting on a smile and bowing his head at Fili. This interested Fili greatly to the point where he almost forgot about Nàin; what was so important that Thranduil could not snap back at Fili?

"I do apologize for my... abruptness. But I saw people of Dale entering and, seeing as we have the same agreement and relationship as, I believe, you have with Bard, I simply supposed I was allowed in," he replied curtly.

Someone snorting at the Even Kings's comment echoed through the hall and Fili saw, as the Elven King turned around to glower at whoever had snorted, that it had been none other than Dwalin who had made the noise. Though as the Elven King turned, Dwalin put on a straight face, causing Ersâ to look at him lovingly.

"Then I suppose the matter is very serious for you to come in person to meet with me?" asked Fili, walking past Thranduil, Dwalin and Ersâ towards his throne. Fili hesitated slightly before sitting down, knowing that the throne was the reason for why it was Fili's fault that Nàin was not there by his side to talk to the Elven King.

Finally taking his place there and sinking down into the throne, he looked directly at Thranduil with an expectant look on his face.

"I'm listening."

Thranduil took a few steps closer, though found once again that his path towards the thrones was blocked by Dwalin and Ersâ. With a look of disgust, he took a step back from the two Dwarves before once again looking up at Fili with a dry smile.

"Indeed, the matter is serious and very grave. Word has reached my ears of the Orcs residing in your woods north of the mountain. I am offering to you my men to join you in your battle against those foul creatures," said Thranduil, bowing his head once again.

"We are not battling them at the moment," said Fili, narrowing his eyes at the Elven King. "Are you proposing we should?"

"I am proposing that the time is right to do so, yes. But I am also urging you to do this as quick as possible. Darker forces are growing in the darkness; in Mordor." A shiver ran through each Dwarf's spine at the mention of that place. "Erebor is the one great Kingdom keeping the North safe from its clutches... The Orcs may just be the beginning of an attack aimed at us all. Together, we can rid ourselves of those creatures."

Fili leaned further back in his throne, the fur that had been placed there to make the stone chair comfortable, brushing against his neck. He looked away from the King, uncertain of what to do. Nàin had not wanted to attack, Fili knew this from the way she had, so strangely, sided with the Orcs after having met with them. Though he was still not convinced the Orcs were not going to harm any of them. And so, with the extra forces that Thranduil was offering to him, Fili knew that they could finally, easily wipe the Orcs out and rid Erebor of a threat.

"Even though I feel you are doing this for you own gaining," began Fili to which Thranduil's brow twitched, "I will consider your offer and give you my decision by midday. Kili, show the King out."

Kili nodded, walking up to Thranduil who glanced down at the Dwarf, "Perhaps," he began, looking back at Fili, "I did not word myself clearly enough. If Erebor falls and a war should erupt, the riches in Erebor will be the first thing Sauron will want to have. Each great Kingdom is at risk, therein also mine. You are not wrong that I am offering your help because I want my people to be safe, but you are wrong in thinking that this is all simply for my own gain. I came here on orders of the Lady herself. She is the one who wants those Orcs gone, not I. I believe my warriors can handle anything even if Erebor will fall. But the Lady wants to keep this Dwarven Kingdom safe, and so I shall. With or without you."

Fili blinked once, "Midday. And I will not have you attack anything north of my boarders without _my_ permission."

Thranduil's eyes darkened and he opened his mouth to reply, though a door opening interrupted him. It weren't the large doors opening, but a smaller one existing behind the thrones, usually used by the King and Queen to get to the rest of the mountain without having to push the large doors open. Everyone turned their heads to look at the door opening, and Fili could almost hear, although absent at the moment, his mother gasping dramatically at seeing Thor entering the room, his petit feet hurrying along to stand in front of his father. Fili straightened up, holding up a hand to Thorin who was about to grab Thor and carry him off.

"Don't!" called Thor, his childlike voice echoing throughout the hall. "Don't attack! Don't hurt them."

Fili watched his son with a furrowed brow, wondering how Thor knew of the Orcs in the forest up north. He had never gotten to hear about those, not even the rest of the Kingdom was supposed to know.

"Please, don't hurt them."

Fili glanced at Kili who was staring at Thor wide-eyed. There was something in Kili's eyes that showed worry, though Fili simply thought Kili was worried because Thor had interrupted such an important meeting.

"Why?" asked Fili, looking back down at his son.

"You allow this?" asked Thranduil loudly and rudely, causing Thor to cower slightly.

"It's alright," said Fili soothingly, glaring at Thranduil once, "tell me why you don't want me to go through with it."

"They won't fight back. You will be hurting those who do not hurt you," said Thor, his eyes now pleadingly looking up at his father. "Please..."

"Kili, lead Thranduil outside," said Fili. "I will give him his answer by midday."

Thranduil looked as though he was going to protest, though simply followed Kili outside, some guards closing the doors behind them.

"Come here," said Fili, gesturing towards his lap.

Holding his son again felt more soothing than Fili had thought it would. It was as though he was partly closer to Nàin and also, while holding Thor, holding Nàin close to him the way he wanted to hold his wife.

"Where did you hear about the Orcs?"

"Is that what they are called?" asked Thor innocently, his lisp still awing Fili slightly.

"You did not know, yet you knew what we were talking about?"

"Not exactly, I simply knew that they were there. I have seen them there-"

A commotion was heard throughout the hall at the little boy's words, causing Thor to cower once more. Fili hushed everyone, looking down at Thor with worried eyes.

"What do you mean by that? You cannot have been up there?"

"No, I have seen them," replied Thor as though it was obvious what he was talking about.

"In one of your dreams?" asked Thorin, taking a step closer. "The same sort of dream in which you saw Nàin fall of her horse outside of a great wooden city?"

Thor nodded confidently, "I saw them talking to mummy. They were helping her escape in a great fiery place."

"Alright," sighed Thorin, "this is nothing but a dream. Thor, you should not have interrupted-"

"Wooden city? You saw that?" asked Fili, furrowing his brow as Kili entered the hall again, quickly walking up to the throne. "Rohan..."

"Brother, I need a word with you. It's about Thor... And what mine, Thorin's and Nàin's theory is."

"Theory?"

"He dreams, that's all," said Thorin, earning a look from Kili. "Whatever theory you think I may have given… it was nothing. Just coincidences and dreams."

"But you said…" began Kili, trailing off as he was unsure of how to continue.

"A child's dreams can be very vivid," said Ersâ.

"No, you don't understand," spoke Thor, shaking his head.

"Alright then," sighed Fili. "Kili, take Thor to his room. And Thor, next time you have a vivid dream, do not act upon it. Talk to someone instead."

Thor looked positively alarmed at his father's words, and slightly saddened that no one would believe him. Quickly, he reached his arms out for his uncle, who quickly took him, giving Fili a look before leaving with Thor in his arms. Fili did not want to listen to Kili's words, and right at that moment, Fili already had too much to have to worry about with Nàin being so hurt and with Thranduil at the gates. Perhaps a theory which still sounded rather strange to Kili was not what Fili needed at that moment.

"They'll die..."

"It's okay, Thor."

"No one believes me?"

"I do. And your mother would too."

"I know she does, I've seen it."


	18. Chapter 18, Ravens and Battles

**Hope you all will like it!**

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Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 18  
Ravens and Battles  
**

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From the nursery's balcony, Thor watched as Erebor's army joined up with King Thranduil's army before marching off around Erebor's boarders. He lost sight of the last men in the army only after a few minutes. A battle was starting. A battle none of the grown-ups knew would minimize the chance of Thor's mother coming home safe… Then again, Thor did not understand that thought himself. It was more of a vague realization he had inside of him. A vague one that he himself had started to doubt since what happened in the court.

Dis was caring for one of his little siblings and did not see Thor re-entering the nursery and climb up the bed. He sat next to his unconscious and pale mother, staring at her face. Images of what he had seen flashed before his eyes; the fire, the mountain, the eye… and the two people the same size as Nàin, walking beside her, struggling equally as much as her, if not more.

Overcome with fear, Thor did what any other child would do as well: reach out to his mother. He just wanted to hug her once before leaving the nursery to explore Erebor more, though the moment his fingertips touched his mother, a haunting image appeared before his eyes of a large, red eye staring at him, hurting him and talking a language he did not understand. It sounded dark and haunting, like a whisper with bad intentions.

Two hands grabbed a hold of Thor's waist and pulled him away from his mother. The image disappeared. Tears were streaming down Thor's cheeks and he was still screaming.

"Quiet! Sschh…"

His grandmother held onto him tightly, hugging him as though he had simply begun to cry because of his mother's unconscious form. Thor quietened down, seeing two of Nàin's maidens gently shushing the babies as well who Thor must have awoken. Somewhere in his heart, he hoped the two babies had seen the same thing. Not because of the pain he had felt, but because he did not want to be alone in seeing things.

"She'll be fine, Thornoid," soothed Dis, still hugging him tightly. "You don't have to worry."

Thor nodded, gently pulling away from his grandmother's hug to look at his mother again. He noticed what probably none of the others noticed. His mother looked paler than she had done before he had touched her. Regret filled the child's heart and he wiped his cheeks on his sleeves.

"Can I go?"

"Where to?" asked Dis.

"My room…" lied Thor.

"Alright then," agreed Dis. "But nowhere else, you hear me? It's almost time for lunch and I will not have to search for you for hours before we can eat."

Thor nodded, feeling slightly bad about what he had in mind of doing before simply walking away. It had to be done. He needed to help his mother from that eye. It was keeping her asleep and he wanted her to hug him again.

Months ago, uncle Kili had told Thor about what had happened to him; how a poison from the enemy had made him sick. Only the healing help of an Elf had saved him then, and in his childish mind, he assumed the same poison had entered Nàin. He understood the babies had hurt her too, though he had overheard what others of his family had not heard. He had overheard the maidens talking about how Nàin's condition in no way could have been that bad after the birth, that she should be getting better as her body was healing, but instead seemed to fall into a deeper slumber with each day passing. She was poisoned, Thor was sure of it, and the only remedy that Thor knew of was the one Kili had gotten during the quest for Erebor.

Walking past his room's door, he instead walked over to the smaller living room where he and Fili often played. In the far-end corner of the room, there was a statue resembling one of the very first Durin's who had lived in those halls. Nobody had touched it apart for when it needed to be dusted off, and so nobody but a curious child as Thor knew of the small hole that existed behind it.

For a while, Thor had avoided the hole, thinking of it as dark and scary. Though his curiosity had of late taken over him and he had soon found himself climbing through it. There, a network of tunnels existed, a chilly wind blowing through all of them. When taking the right turns, one would find themselves exiting behind yet another statue in the Great Hall, right by the small staircase leading down to the Archives. There, Thor found himself only minutes after having walked away from his grandmother.

The Archives was guarded by two guards in front of a gate; this because they did not want anyone to enter the Archives apart from Dwarves who had clearance. Thor was not one of them even though he was the first born son of the King – he was too young still. And so, he waited behind the statue until the right moment came, and much to his luck, the right moment came rather fast.

Ori walked over to the guards, gaining entrance almost immediately. The guards opened the gates, turning their backs on the statue behind which Thor was hiding. While Ori was walking through, Thor slipped past the guard's feet and in through the gate just as the guards were closing them. None of them noticed him, or they did and thought he was with Ori. Either way, he managed to creep down the stairs quietly without Ori noticing, and he disappeared behind a couple of bookshelves just in time for another pair of feet to walk past Ori. Nobody had seen him yet, and he was keen on letting it be like that.

The Archives was not just a place for people to find books or information about things. It was also the one place where those who worked down there kept the Ravens with which one sent letters. They were kept in a couple of cages in a dark corner when it was the day on which letters were sent, some already carrying letters while others were still waiting. Most of them were asleep, though some 'cawed' loudly as Thor opened the cage, attaching his letter to one of the Raven's feet. Much to his amusement, the Raven seemed rather happy to have been chosen to carry a letter. Thor knew that those Ravens who did not have to be used that particular week were sent back out to the tower to wait for the next week. The Raven Thor had chosen knew that he could now stretch its wings, and Thor smiled at it, patting its head lightly before he began his journey back out.

Meanwhile, the Master of the Archives walked over to the cage of Ravens, causing them all to steer from their slumber as they knew it was time. The Master Dwarf still had some letters in his hand, which he attached to a couple of Ravens' feet before he lifted the cages and began to walk upstairs, unknown of the little boy following him to sneak out.

Swiftly, the Master walked over to the entrance hall, denying a couple of people a chance to give out more letters before the Ravens were sent off.

"Each Monday you give us your letters, you know this. If you have forgotten, then it is your fault not mine."

Muttering still about how people need to remember what to do and when, he walked over to the tower built for the Ravens, ascending the stairs with more spring then some younger Dwarves still had in their step. While at the top, he let out those Ravens who carried letters, one by one. As always and because of his curiosity, the Master Dwarf looked at the names of the people who would soon get a letter, smirking at the amount of letters that were sent off towards Dain's Kingdom. One letter was from the Queen, which she had written to Bilbo Baggins before she had fallen ill. One of her maidens had found it on her desk a while ago and had decided to send it for her. The Raven flew off towards the south in order to avoid flying over Mirkwood as many other Ravens also did.

Apart from the Queen's letter, which he had recognized because of the fancy paper she always used, another one caught his eye. It was addressed to the "Lady of Lorien" and he wondered who that was and what it said. Though he had made a vow to himself to never pry in the private matters of other Dwarves, and so he let it out as well, flying towards the west instead of the east towards Dain's Kingdom.

The Raven soared past Erebor and towards the northern parts of Mirkwood where it would pass and then continue on a little further. Though out of the corner of its eye, the Raven could see the battle that was taking place up north. And it was a strange one.

The Elves and Dwarves were charging towards the forest, seeing the Orcs noticing them. Thanduil, Fili and Kili were ahead of the army, charging as fast as they could. However, much to Fili's surprise, the Orcs seemed rather startled and afraid when they saw them arriving. Instead of jumping to their feet and drawing swords, the Orcs ran. They _fled_.

Although some fled back towards a shack where, apparently, the weapons were kept so they could fight back, the majority of the Orcs indeed fled. Some got away, though most of them were apprehended and killed by the Elves while the Dwarves took care of those who were trying to fight back. Even so, when Fili and Kili were fighting side by side against the horrible creatures, they noticed the lack of skills the Orcs had in sword fighting. Yes, they could use a sword, but not well at all. At least the followers of the Pale Orc had been a challenge.

When the last Orc had been downed. Fili took some time to take in his surroundings. Bodies of the Orcs lay sprawled out everywhere. Elves and Dwarves were walking amongst them, making sure each and one of them were truly dead. The now dead Orcs had built huts around the camp and large bonfires here and there to light up the camp. Fili entered one of these huts and noticed beds of leaves and twigs sprawled out everywhere. He frowned at the sight, surprised by what he was seeing.

"Fee," breathed Kili as he entered the hut, clearly about to say something else though stopping himself when he saw the look on Fili's face. "What's wrong?"

"Do you see this?" asked Fili. "This is not Orc behaviour."

Kili smirked, the adrenaline in his body clearly still pumping, "Since when did you become a specialist in Orcs?"

"Think about it Kili. They've built these huts, they've created fires… Orcs just destroy, eat raw meat and hunt down whoever their master asks of them to hunt down," said Fili before glancing at his brother. "Right?"

"I don't know. I've never really been to where the Orcs live… Maybe this is how they normally live?"

"Even if it was… why would they build all of this for a small camp they'll be using just to prepare for an attack? No, Kili, we're missing something… They've been here for months. If they wanted to attack, they could have done so a long time ago," sighed Fili.

"Look, brother, we've attacked them. They're gone. They're the enemy… You're not having second thoughts about this, are you? It's a bit late for that." Kili stared at Fili who simply looked away. Behind them, Thranduil entered the hut as well, looking utmost disgusted by the beds.

"The corpses will be burned soon. After that I saw we destroy this camp before leaving to celebrate our victory," said Thranduil.

"This was not a victory," mumbled Fili. "We ruined their home."

"They're Orcs. They would have done the same to us," snapped Thranduil simply, before leaving the hut.

"Come on, brother," said Kili simply, placing a hand on Fili's shoulder. "Let's go."


	19. Chapter 19, Help Arrives

**Another chapter! Hope y'all like it!**

 **Thanks to everyone who favorited and followed.**

 **Starimus Prime:** Thank you! :D Hope you like this chapter too!

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Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 19  
Help Arrives  
**

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It was night-time when the armies returned to Erebor. Thor was watching from the balcony of the nursery. He was waiting for a reply to his letter even though he had only just sent it. He noticed his father and uncle talking to the Elven King and Thor lost himself in fantasies about Elves and Kings, reliving stories his mother had once told him. He was so busy with imagining things, that he did not notice the small light entering the room, flying around the room for a bit in a frantic pattern before it suddenly fled the room once more. Right as it passed Thor's head, he turned around to enter the nursery again.

Yawning, Thor walked over to the bed his mother was resting on, jumping up before lying down next to him, resting his head on the pillow next to his mother's head. Gently, he lifted the blanket and joined her, wrapping her arm around her chest and snuggling into her side.

"It's okay…" he whispered, looking up at her motionless and pale face, "I've asked for help."

"Thor! Get out of there!" The gasp came from one of Nàin's maids and all Thor did in return to her demand, was to curl up closer to Nàin. He noticed briefly how Dis entered the room, having heard the commotion before the maid was sent away by the mother of the King.

The mattress shifted under the weight of his grandmother and Thor turned his head slightly to look at her.

"You want to sleep in here tonight?"

Thor nodded his head before nuzzling in closer to his mother.

"Of course… Then, will you keep an eye on your brother and sister?"

Thor nodded again.

"If they make any noises, you call on me or Jytina, the maid, alright?"

Thor nodded once more.

"Good boy… Well, goodnight then, Thor." She leaned forwards and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. Thor watched with glistening eyes as Dis moved towards the door. She turned around once more to close the door, upon which Thor raised his head slightly, not being able to contain himself.

"She'll be alright tomorrow."

Dis blinked once at Thor before simply offering him a smile. The door closed and Thor returned to his previous position, wondering if his grandmother had believed him or not. Then again, he remembered the way the court had not earlier that day, and so Thor was quite sure his grandmother did not believe him either.

Sighing, he glanced up towards his mother's face once more before closing his eyes, drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

It was later during the night that Thor awoke once more. To his surprise, he noticed his father sitting in a chair next to Nàin's bed, red patches underneath of his eyes and a small bruise on his cheek from the alarmingly short battle. He had not even taken off his armour yet and the room smelled of the iron his armour was made of. At least, Thor hoped it was simply his father's armour.

"Father?" asked Thor quietly, hearing the small gurgles of annoyance that were coming from his brother's crib and which had woken him up as well. When his father did not react to Thor's voice, Thor quickly climbed off the bed and made his way through the darkness to the babies.

His sister was staring at something ahead of her, reaching out to it while sometimes moving her other hand to suck on her fingers. His brother was, on the other hand, scrunching up his face in annoyance, clearly preparing to begin crying. Worried he might wake up his father if he opened the door, or if his brother began to cry, Thor stuck his arm through the crib's gaps, reaching out to the baby who immediately looked interested in what was happening. Unsure of what to do, Thor simply grabbed a hold of his brother's hand, knowing it was what Thorin used to do when Thor felt sad. The baby curled his fingers around Thor's and calmed down, his eyes slowly drooping. Relieved he had managed to make the baby stay quiet, Thor went to leave, removing his hand from the baby's. However, as the baby lost its grip on Thor's hand, he began to gurgle and almost cry again. Thor quickly stuck his hand back into the crib, the baby curling his fingers around Thor's hand once more, calming down again.

Knowing he would be sore in the morning if he stayed in that position, Thor turned his head to call for his father, though he was too fast asleep to hear Thor's calls. Sighing, Thor sat down next to the crib, his hand still being held by his baby brother's.

Somewhere deep inside of him, he had a feeling this would become a regular thing between the two siblings. And although it annoyed him, it also made him smile slightly. Resting his head against the side of the crib, Thor fell asleep.

The doors to the nursery balcony slowly opened and moonlight lit up the room. A female Elf entered, her golden hair flowing beautifully behind her and the silver woven crown in her hair glistened beautifully in the moonlight. A ring was attached to her finger, made of the same beautiful silver threads as her crown, though filled with something darker than any crown could hold. The white gown she wore trailed behind her as she walked over to the bed Nàin was resting on.

A soft gasp of surprise caused the Elf to look away from Nàin's pale face, seeing Thor suddenly wide awake again, staring at the Elf before him with wide eyes. Slowly, she placed a finger over her lips, gently shushing Thor who nodded his head, keeping his hand in his baby brother's.

Watching with eager eyes, Thor saw as the Elf leaned down over Nàin's body, a hand floating over her face. A surprised look appeared on the Elf's face and she glanced over at Thor again.

 _"You saw something earlier today, did you not? Something that is haunting your mother…"_

Albeit he was confused as to where the voice came from, seeing as the Elf had not moved her lips to talk to him, he nodded his head.

She glanced at him more intently, her blue eyes seeming to pierce his mind. Suddenly, her eyes widened once more and she moved away from Nàin.

 _"The Eye… He is here."_

"Can you help her?" asked Thor quietly.

The Elf looked over at Thor with a smile, causing the boy to feel relieved, hoping he had understood the smile correctly.

 _"You called me just in time. Any longer, and my answer would have been no."_

Once more, the Elf leaned over her body, now pressing a hand against her heart. A sudden light appeared, seeming to be coming from the ring the Elf wore, seeping into Nàin and enlightening her. And then, suddenly, the calmness and silence was gone as a piercing shriek filled the room for a few seconds before an implosion of black goo suddenly flew away from Nàin, exiting the room and disappearing out of view.

Fili stirred in his chair and before Thor knew what had happened, the Elf had disappeared, the balcony doors still open and sending a cold breeze through the room. Thor watched as his father rubbed his hands over his eyes, completely unaware of what had just happened. Then, suddenly, Fili rushed forwards towards the bed. For a second, Thor was worried that something had happened to his mother as his father to almost began cry. Though Thor quickly understood what had happened when his mother shifted on the bed.

Filled with utter joy and happiness, Thor stood up as well, running over to the bed.

"I had the strangest dream…" muttered Nàin, yawning.

Fili pressed kisses all over her face, causing her to glance up at Fili with confusion. "Thank Mahal… Thank Durin… Thank anyone who made this happen!"

Nàin blinked a couple of times, "I just had a weird dream."

"No – Nàin, you've been unconscious for so long now… You didn't wake up!"

Fili returned to kissing and hugging his wife, chanting the words sorry and thank you over and over again while Nàin tried to understand what he had just told her.

"I… My babies!" exclaimed Nàin, suddenly shooting up in a sitting position, her eyes noticing Thor for the first time.

Unable to keep his happiness in, Thor jumped up onto the bed, tears streaming down his face as he jumped into her open arms.

"It's okay… I'm here now, I'm okay," whispered Nàin, pressing a kiss to Thor's head while Fili continued to hug her. She reached up a hand to Fili's face, guiding his lips to hers before smiling at him, "I'm glad you're you again…"

With a shake of his head, he pressed his forehead against hers, "I'll never be able to make it up to you… I suppose I was too blind to see that the Sickness was affecting me too."

Thor's arms curled closer around Nàin's at the word 'Sickness', though before Nàin could register the connection, her eyes landed on the two cribs. The baby-boy was crying full on now that Thor was not holding his hand anymore.

"May I," she said as she shifted slightly.

Fili took Thor from her, hugging and shushing him quietly as Thor kept on crying, his heart not being able to handle the happiness and instead turning it into sadness. He watched as Nàin walked over to the cribs, gently lifting up the baby-boy into her arms and cuddling him to her chest. Even in the darkness, Fili could not help but feel his heart explode at the sight of his wife holding her baby in her arms and the beauty she held…

"You have to hold his hand," said Thor with a shaky voice, causing Nàin to look over at Thor with a smile.

Clearly, Nàin knew how to shush the baby as he was already calming down, though she still walked over to Thor in Fili's arms, letting him reach out his petit hand towards his baby-brother's who took it and immediately calmed down.

Fili chuckled at the sight, placing a kiss to Thor's hair at the sight.

"Have you named them?" asked Nàin quietly, not missing the faltering smile of Fili at her question, the woman realizing that she clearly had missed some things. "Alright… How about Thror?"

"Thror?" repeated Fili.

"Thror II. I like it. And the girl can be called Aiwin, after a distant relative of yours who had a rumor of being a very strong and independent woman," smiled Nàin. "What do you think?"

"I think you've already planned this," joked Fili, causing Nàin to shrug. "I like it."

"Thror," repeated Thor with a smile before stifling a yawn.

"Okay, let's get you both to bed, aye?" asked Nàin, causing Thor to nod his head. "And then you, Fili, can tell me why you are in full-on armour in the nursery. Surely you can watch over your children without the armour? Babies aren't that difficult, you know."

Although she was joking, Fili could not smile. Nàin noticed this and her smile faltered too.

Indeed, she had missed a lot.


	20. Chapter 20, In Mordor Where the-

**We're nearly at the end of this part of the story, hence why there's so many filler-chapters at the moment where not a lot happens but where important details and hints for future chapters are hidden instead. So, the Fellowship of the Ring begins soon! :D I'm excited because Nàin's part in this is going to be really fun to write! **

**Thanks to everyone who favorited and followed!**

 **Starimus Prime:** Yay! Thanks! :D

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Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 20  
In Mordor Where the Shadows Lie  
**

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Nàin stared at the wall ahead of her, away from her husband who was silently, and worriedly, waiting for her to react to what he had just told her. Thor had been put to bed by both Fili and Nàin, causing some of the guards to run away to tell the rest of the kingdom of queen Nàin's sudden awakening. Though neither of them had yet had time to tell anyone yet as Fili had almost immediately collapsed onto a chair and told her everything that had been on his mind; everything that he should have told her from the beginning and everything he had not been able to tell her due to her illness. Their relationship was strengthened by it, of course, though when Fili told her about Thranduil's sudden arrival and how he had talked about a threat wanting to take over the Eastern part of Middle Earth, this by taking over Erebor, Nàin had grown silent. Especially when Fili had told her of the Orcs they had defeated, or rather scared off from what he assumed was their home.

"Nàin?"

She diverted her gaze back to Fili, sitting on the bed of the nursery with her hands folded in her lap.

"I know you didn't want to attack… I was foolish. When I saw what they had built, I knew they weren't the real threat. Whatever Thranduil thought was going on up there, it wasn't."

"Have you informed Dain of what Thranduil said? About Erebor being the one thing that is keeping the enemy from taking over this part of Middle-Earth?" asked Nàin, causing Fili to let out a sigh, knowing that her abrupt change of a subject meant she indeed was not happy about him attaching those Orcs.

"No, not yet. It all happened just this day, or rather yesterday," mumbled Fili, looking over towards the small windows through which sunlight was beginning to shine already. "But I will. Immediately. I'll send a raven personally."

"Also, who is this enemy?"

Fili blinked, furrowing his brow at her. He opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't find the right words and simply closed his mouth again.

"You see, everyone keeps talking about an enemy, but I can't for the life of me remember anyone mentioning a name. Of course these Orcs are our enemy, as they always have been… But Azog's dead-"

"The question should be, who did Azog get orders from? Nobody ever talks about that either," added Fili, this time causing Nàin to furrow her brow.

"What do you mean? He gave the orders, didn't he?"

"Well, yeah, he did… But I overheard Gandalf speaking to Thorin before he and Bilbo left… They were talking about a necromancer," said Fili quietly, his eyes shifting over to his sleeping babies as though simply uttering the words would harm them. "He had been cast to Mordor- Nàin!?"

Upon the words Fili uttered, a horrible flashback of something she barely remembered, something she had thought had been a simple dream, suddenly flashed before her eyes. She sunk down to the floor, Fili catching her before her head hit a nearby table and steadying her, watching as she regained her strength.

"Nàin?"

"I – Mordor?"

Fili watched her cautiously, waiting for her to continue.

"Fili," she breathed, her voice as shaky as her hands were when she touched Fili's arms, "Are you sure it was just the babies hurting me that made me fall unconscious? Because I remember things from… when I was asleep. Horrible things. I saw Bilbo's ring. And fire. And I heard someone whispering to me in a foul language. His words kept me sleepy and I couldn't get away… It felt as though he wanted me to give up and be with him."

"Him? Who's him?"

"I don't know," she replied, shaking her head. "But I saw something… I've got to get to the Archives-"

"Nàin, you're not well yet, you can't go down there now. Besides, they're not open yet-"

"I am their Queen. They'll open for me," breathed Nàin before hoisting herself up on her feet, wobbling slightly before walking over to the door.

She looked back once at the cribs and then at Fili before making up her mind about something else as well. She couldn't just leave her children on their own and, besides, all her maids were asleep now. She'd simply have to bring them with her.

With nothing but a candle to light up what they were reading, the sun still not having hit the mechanism that reflected the light throughout the entire Archives, Nàin and Fili sat at a small table, scrolls of paper and books sprawled out before them. In each of their arms, they held a baby. Fili holding Aiwin close to his chest while she slept, and Nàin holding Thror who was watching what they were doing with confused eyes.

"Here," said Nàin, pointing towards a part of her scroll. "Mordor is mentioned here by Dain I… Fili, he mentions Sauron."

"Sauron? But he's dead, right?"

"Yeah, but look at this." Nàin moved the scroll with her one free hand over to Fili and closer to the candlelight. She watched as Fili read it through, his eyes darkening with each sentence he read.

"So, according to Gondor's records, Sauron never really died? But how?" asked Fili.

"I don't know. There's nothing here about that. Just what Dain I managed he got from his friend in Gondor… But, this whole thing with Sauron happened so long ago. Surely he can't have survived for so long?"

"Whatever it is that is lurking out there in the darkness, it clearly reminds people of Sauron. Whether it is him or not doesn't really matter. It's dangerous. But it makes sense. Orcs followed Sauron back then as well. And Sauron wanted to take over Middle-Earth; rule it."

"From what we remember at least. There's not much here in these Archives about Sauron," sighed Nàin. "Okay, say it is him… Or at least some necromancer who wants to be him. What would he need to prevail?"

"Strong fortresses to take out those in Middle-Earth prepared to get rid of him; fight against him."

"Are we one of those?" asked Nàin quietly, shushing Thror as he started to make a fuss.

"According to Thranduil, we are. And there's proof others think so as well. Just look at what happened at the Battle of Five Armies when they thought Erebor could be taken," breathed Fili.

"We need better defences in that case. We've only been focusing on rebuilding the Kingdom. But now, all levels of the mountains are cleared, right? Dwarves are rebuilding their family homes and mining again; the Kingdom's back on its feet. I say we start focusing on building a stronger defence."

"You won't hear me complaining about that," agreed Fili before he let out a sigh. "But, we need supplies for that."

"Iron. Silver… Supplies to make steel," added Nàin, nodding her head. "Please don't tell me that Erebor can't mine those things?"

"Oh, we can mine those things. There's just a slight problem… Erebor never had much iron ore veins. For that, the Dwarves living here usually traded to get what they needed. And what they traded were the things they had in plenty; rubies, diamonds, garnets – anything that twinkles in the sunlight really. Especially gold. So, we can mine what we need, but it won't be enough. I'm quite sure Bofur can confirm it. And we truly need defences around the entire mountain," sighed Fili.

"How come?"

Fili leaned forwards, revealing a scroll he had read earlier, "Again, it's a copy of something you can read in Gondor about a place north of here, past the forest and in the grey mountains. It's called Gundabad."

"I recognize the name," murmured Nàin as she read through the scroll.

"Of course you do. Remember the second wave of Orcs that attacked during the Battle of Five Armies? Led by Bolg, spawn of Azog?"

Nàin let out a shaky breath, placing a hand on Fili's arm. Had Bilbo not given her that ring – Had she not been there – Fili would have not been sitting next to her right now due to that wave or Orcs.

"I remember…"

"They marched from Gundabad. Thranduil's son and Tauriel, Kili's secret lover," Fili wiggled his eyebrows at Nàin who smirked, "told us about that before Gandalf left. It seemed to shake Thorin up pretty good."

"Seriously, where was I when all of this talking happened?"

Fili looked down at his hands, "You weren't in the best of shapes…"

Nàin quieted down, remembering the baby she had lost after the battle and she cleared her throat, hating how she had made Fili remember that.

"What's with Gundabad that would make Thorin, of all people, afraid?"

"Here, read the last bit."

 _"It is said that the fortress known to everyone as Gundabad is, and was, the Kingdom of Angmar._ Who's Angmar?"

Fili shrugged, "I have no idea. But it sounds like a name of Men. Not that I have ever met someone named it."

Nàin pursed her lips. The name rang in her ears over and over again. She knew of it… But where from?

"The thing is, if Gundabad is used again by Orcs, which I assume it is… Then we have a threat North from us. Now, I won't say the Men in Dale cannot fight, but I would sleep better if we had defences facing South as well… Which means we're going to need better defences around the entire Mountain, and a lot more supplies than we originally thought. More than Erebor can create on her own."

"Where can we get more supplies?"

Fili's eyes darkened before he shook his head, "I don't know."

"We'll have to ask the council then. Thorin might know, or Balin."

"Angmar…" whispered Fili. "Nàin? Remember that story Thorin once told us when you came to sleep at our house?"

"That was a long time ago, and Thorin told us many stories… Which one?"

"The one that scared us so much. The one he told after Kili, stupidly enough, had asked for something scary; the one about those rings."

"The rings of power? Yeah, I remember. The story we didn't believe was true until we heard of Sauron and… everything," sighed Nàin before cocking her head to the side, "Why?"

"He mentioned Angmar then," breathed Fili, a look of realization overtaking him as he quickly stood up, awakening Aiwin as he did, before searching for a book in the dark. Nàin followed him with the candle, lightening his way as he searched and searched. "Damn it."

"What?"

"We don't have it… Oh! I can't remember how it goes!" Fili placed two fingers against the bridge of his nose, seemingly deep in thought.

"What?"

"The rings of power. How many were made?"

"Uh, there were twenty of them, right? Nine for the Men. Seven for us and three for the Elves. They were made by the Elven-Smiths… That's all I remember," sighed Nàin. "Why?"

"Nine, seven and three doesn't make twenty."

"No, Sauron's ring was made as well. But not by the Elven smiths, I believe… What?"

"Remember that rhyme?" asked Fili quietly.

"Yeah… Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne in the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie," recited Nàin from memory, causing Fili to smirk.

"You always were the one to remember what we were taught," snickered Fili before growing serious again. "I think Angmar might have been one of the names of those Men… But I can't really remember."

"If that is the case, we're dangerously close to his kingdom."

Both Fili and Nàin shivered at the thought, their eyes going down to the babies in their arms.

"And the last part?"

"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them, in the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."

As she said the last part, a hidden breeze caused the candle to flicker and almost extinguish. Neither felt the breeze, though they could hear it and see it. Fili stared at Nàin and Thror, holding Aiwin even closer to his chest.

"Fili…" said Nàin quietly. "That ring was lost, right?"

"Yeah… Why?"

"Bilbo's ring… I put it on… I think I even saw the ring in… Oh no…"

"Saw it where? Nàin?"

"W-When I was asleep," said Nàin with a shaky voice. "I saw that ring. And I could feel him wanting it. Needing it… What if it _is_ Sauron? Then he must have seen me or noticed me when I put the ring on!"

"That's not possible. That ring was not the One Ring. Bilbo had it in his pocket, he would've noticed its evil in that case. Besides, the ring is connected with Sauron, but not like that. Otherwhise, Sauron would have already found it a long time ago because he would have known where it was… If he's still alive." Fili placed a hand against her cheek, gently tracing his thumb over her cheekbone. "You were not kept asleep by Sauron. You were not kept asleep by that ring. You were simply sick."

Nàin furrowed her brow, "I don't know… There was something in Bilbo's eyes when he talked about it, Fili. You weren't there. It was rather scary."

Fili nodded his head, "Well, if it is with Bilbo, he'll keep it safe and away from evil hands."

"But Bilbo's not safe… And we can't even warn him because these are just speculations. And to send a raven with those words…"

"Let's just focus on the defences against what we know. Orcs. And where to get enough supplies for those defences… Unfortunately, I have a plan… But you're not going to like it. And neither do I."


	21. Chapter 21, Reclaiming Khazad-dûm

**The end of this chapter was rather painful to write... I don't know why. There's just something about Moria and the Dwarves going to their doom that just makes me sad. :/**

 **Thanks to everyone who favorited and followed!**

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Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 21  
Reclaiming Khazad-dûm  
**

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"Around all of Erebor?"

Bofur's voice echoed against the stone walls, his eyes darting around at everyone staring at him expectantly; hopefully. Fili and Nàin had gathered the Dwarves they trusted the most, the Dwarves whom together formed the Council of Erebor, and told them all about their plans for the defences. It had taken a time to tell them though as the news of Nàin sudden awakening had reached the ears of everyone and shocked most of them. Both Thorin and Kili had been beyond happy and couldn't stop hugging her, nearly knocking her crown off of her head. Nàin's heart warmed at the affection and especially at the fact that Thorin's eyes seemed to light up, some of the mist and sickness disappearing from his eyes at the sight of her once more being next to Fili. Though it wasn't just that which had taken a lot of time. For Nàin to explain exactly what had happened and what she had seen during her time asleep took longer than expected as well. The Dwarves questioned a lot and discussed a lot as well, theorizing about what had awoken her and what she had seen could have meant. Not to mention that once she and Fili had explained what they wanted to do against this enemy they assumed was rising, all the Dwarves had gone hysterical and tried to come with their own ideas for defences and how to gather materials. Calming them all down had been tremendously difficult.

"Nah, I doubt we can provide you with what ya need," said Bofur with a saddened look on his face, clearly not happy with the fact that he could not help his own King and Queen. "The ore veins for iron here are few as it is, and nearly depleted."

"We'll just have to find a different way to gather the materials," concluded Balin from his spot next to Thorin.

"Thank you, Bofur," spoke Fili, nodding his head at the Dwarf who bowed low before beginning to back out of the room.

"Bofur? You are allowed to stay," said Nàin, causing him to look over at her with a smile on his face.

"Oh, I know, your highness. But my men down in the mine need me more than you two right now," confessed Bofur. "Besides, Bombur's been eatin' again. Last time I left him in charge he had take' three lunch breaks within an hour. I gotta keep an eye on him."

Nàin smiled at his words, nodding her head at him. Silently, Bofur bowed once more before exiting the room as Kildin held open the door for him.

"Perhaps Bard has some means of getting the ore for us," tried Kili. "We can bargain with him."

"We could. But it would be much more reasonable to get our own hands on something," said Balin. "So we don't get tricked."

"Aye, I agree," voiced Dwalin from next to Balin, leaning against the round, stone table they all were sitting around. "I still don't trust him."

Fili looked towards the centre of the table, seeming deep in thought. Nàin wondered what his plan was and why he had not yet voiced it. He had seemed, earlier that morning, quite anxious about the idea he had in his head and she was quite curious as to what could be so bad about his idea.

"Dain could offer us some," declared Thorin. "I will send him a letter."

"Also, tell him about this… threat. He might want to keep some for himself to make his own defences stronger." Thorin nodded his head at Nàin.

"If this threat is real, if this is Sauron…" breathed Balin, exchanging a look with Thorin. "I've heard about him from my forefathers. He was a cruel, cruel 'man'."

"He won't give up until he's got all of Middle-Earth in his grasp," agreed the Master of the Archives, sitting next to Kili with Ori by his side. "And he won't try to fight all the kingdoms. He'll use other methods. Like the one he tried on you, your highness."

Fili grabbed Nàin's hand from underneath the table.

"Whatever happened… We can only thank Durin for you being awake again," finished Balin, a silence taking over the room after his words that was only broken minutes later by Fili's voice.

"Dain won't have enough to keep us safe… Erebor is big," sighed Fili. "We… We might need to get it from somewhere else."

"But where from?" asked Nàin, squeezing his hand tightly. "Fili, you told me you had a plan…"

He took a deep breath, leaning forwards as he said the one word that made most Dwarves around the table squirm, "Khazad-dûm."

"Moria…" breathed Gimli sinisterly, his father beside him shivering.

"Home of Durin's Bane," mumbled Thorin.

Nàin stared at Fili. "What became of the Kingdom after the battle where we lost King Thror?"

"Nobody really knows. All we know is that it's infested with Orcs, Goblins and whatever foul things they see as their allies," explained Fili.

"And Durin's Bane?"

Thorin sighed, "The creature was alive centuries ago. For all we know, it's dead."

"You cannot seriously be thinking about taking back Khazad-dûm?" asked Kili with a furrowed brow. "Fee, that's madness!"

"We need materials. I'm doing this for the people. For us. Khazad-dûm was rich of Mithril. Balin, can we use mithril for defences?" asked Fili, all eyes now on Balin.

An internal struggle seemed to go on inside of Balin. Most likely Balin wanted to tell Fili off for even thinking about sending people there. Then again, mithril was stronger than any iron or steel could ever be. At last, Balin let out a sigh, "Yes."

"Brother, it's madness!"

"Kili. He's the king," scolded Thorin, causing Kili to open his mouth to retort something, though deciding against it when Thorin glared at him. "And we need the materials."

Nàin stayed quiet, leaning back in her throne, still holding Fili's hand. She remembered Ori's request and his wish to go with whoever wanted to reclaim Moria. She remembered her answer as well. Though upon hearing everything dark that was going on in that place, she regretted her answer deeply.

"All this for an enemy you do not even know if you have," said Kili quietly.

"We do know there is an enemy out there, though," said Balin, again with a sigh that told Nàin he truly didn't want to give anyone anymore reasons to go to that foul place. "Talks of a Necromancer leading armies of Orcs have been going around Middle-Earth lately. Gandalf even confirmed those rumours, saying he had seen him himself."

"Did he ever say what he saw? What he looked like?" asked Nàin quietly, earning a shake of Balin's head.

"Is no one else against this?" asked Kili incredulously, looking around the table.

Silence ensued as each Dwarf looked down at their lap. Most Dwarves were probably against this idea, knowing that it was not the best of ideas to let anyone go close to that place. Though they also knew that it was one of the best ideas they had for getting more materials.

Then, a voice spoke up which surprised everyone; everyone but Nàin.

"I will go."

All eyes turned to Ori and the Master of the Archives scoffed, "You? What makes you think the King will let you go? You can barely even lift a sword."

"He will go, because I allow it," said Nàin loudly and clearly, staring at the Master of the Archives with determined eyes.

"But… Why?" asked the old Dwarf.

"I trust him. That's why," she simply said, her glance looking over at Ori who tried his best to contain his glee and pride.

"So, we're doing this?" asked Kili quietly, avoiding eye-contact with both Fili and Nàin.

The King and Queen glanced at each other, silently telling each other that they had no other choice. Fili turned towards the rest of the Dwarves first and nodded his head, "We will."

"Well then," sighed Balin, leaning forwards, "I suppose there'll be one last adventure for this old Dwarf."

"Brother-" began Dwalin, his voice upset.

"I know what I'm doing. Besides, Ori is going to need some help," said Balin, winking at the young Dwarf.

"I've studied old maps. I know my way around that place as though I've lived there," said Ori proudly. "And I will document everything for future generations. We will take it back. We will win."

"Just… Just focus on getting the upper halls back at first, alright?" said Nàin.

"And send as much materials as we can to Erebor," added Balin.

"Kili, send word out to the rest of Erebor," ordered Fili, earning a curt nod from Kili, "Let them know that whoever wants to join may do so. They'll leave in a week."

"Yes, sire," said Kili monotonously, earning a look from Fili. "Thank you all for coming… We'll leave it at that for now."

Kili was the first to scrape his chair back and leave, his footsteps showing to everyone he was not happy with what Fili and Nàin had decided upon. Thorin stayed behind with Fili and Nàin as the rest of the Dwarves slowly left the room.

Nàin sunk down in her chair, placing a hand on her forehead, "I've sent him to his death."

"You don't know that," said Fili quickly, trying his best to reassure her. "Besides… He won't be the only one in that case."

Nàin closed her eyes as he said this, though a hand on her shoulder caused her to open her eyes again, seeing Thorin looking at her, "This is the best thing for the kingdom. You cannot risk the fate of your kingdom, at the risk of one or two Dwarves."

Fili looked away while Nàin simply stared at Thorin.

"I know that. And I know that ruling a kingdom is hard and these choices are things that one has to make, but it doesn't make them easier," said Nàin quietly. "It makes them worse because I allowed him to go."

" _We_ allowed Balin too. Just for some materials."

"Materials that can or will save all Dwarves in this mountain," added Thorin. "No matter what Kili will say, what you're doing is thinking like royalty; like leaders. Your heart sometimes has to be ignored so you can do what's best for your people."

 _One day you will be king, and you will understand._

"Now that that's out of the way," said Thorin, scooting closer, his eyes suddenly changing into his serious stare, to his worried glance. Nàin watched him for a while as he inspected her, seeming to be trying to find the right words. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Nàin couldn't help but smile at his worry and affection. Although the Sickness was always there, haunting him, he was still the sweet Thorin Oakenshield Nàin knew and loved from back in the old days; the Thorin who would take care of her when her father would not and the Thorin who was her guardian.

"I am truly fine. What I saw in my dreams was… Strange. And frightening now that I think I know what it meant. But I'm fine now. And I feel fine too."

"You understand what this means, right?"

Fili leaned in, his eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"This means that Sauron already knows what can weaken this Kingdom's leaders. What can poison your minds," said Thorin in a low voice. "Don't think that myself and Dis have simply been watching all this time. And don't think that I have not forgotten the tales of what used to reside here in Middle-Earth – about the rings of power and Morgoth's devoted worshipper who never let go of what Morgoth believed in; the one necromancer who wanted to rule Middle-Earth. The reason behind the Orcs wanting this mountain all those years ago was not for its gold, which you may know by now already. It was for its position," said Thorin, earning a nod from Fili.

"Yes, Thranduil told me. With it, he could manage to wage war on all of the east; on Mirkwood and the Iron Hills. I assume that if he takes over this part of Middle-Earth, he can attack Gondor and Rohan from the East."

"And should those Kingdoms fall, Sauron only has the rest of the Elves left to fight before he has taken Middle-Earth. And the time of the Elves is coming to an end, their defences will be weak," stated Thorin, glancing behind him as though he was afraid someone might overhear their conversation. "There may come a day when Middle-Earth calls for aid. And when that day comes, you must be prepared to act."

Fili's hand squeezed Nàin's hand again before he spoke, "And in what way should we act?"

Thorin leaned back again, "That, is completely up to the two of you. Neither I nor Dain would probably risk any Dwarves leaving to fight someone else's fights… But neither I nor Dain are King under the Lonely Mountain. You are. And you will choose the fate of the Dwarves if the time should come."

Nàin glanced at Fili briefly before once more looking over at Thorin, "You really think such a day will come?"

Thorin stayed quiet, glancing down at his own hands once before standing up, "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see." With that said, he bowed his head and made to leave.

"If such a day does happen," said Fili quietly, his other hand moving up to Nàin's cheek to gently caress it. "I say we would all fair way better if we do have our defences up."

Understanding what Fili was saying, Nàin nodded her head, "Aye, I do believe we made the right choice after all. We cannot risk the lives of all these Dwarves just because we feared what was in that mountain… Let's just hope everyone makes it."

* * *

A week later, both Fili and Nàin made their way down the stairs, past the Market and towards the entrance hall where the group of Dwarves had gathered to leave together for Khazad-dûm. They had brought with them some ponies to ride on and some carriages filled with various items they would need during their trip and upon arrival at the mountains. Nàin caught a glimpse of one of them and did not miss out on the vast number of weapons and armour they had packed.

She caught the sight of some Dwarven women as well, which made her smile knowing that they would be needed just as much as the men. Not to mention that they seemed confident carrying a sword or axe, which might turn out to be useful. Amongst the Dwarves that seemed to be leaving (there were also many Dwarves there who were obviously simply saying goodbye to friends or family getting ready to leave) Nàin recognized a few Dwarves. Of course, Balin and Ori were there, whom Nàin already knew were going to go to Khazad-dûm. Though she was surprised to also see Oin there, preparing his bag filled with herbs and bandages, clearly ready to treat any wounded if they so came by. Gloin and Gimli were standing with Oin, saying goodbye to him, while Nori and Dori were standing beside Ori to give him a proper goodbye. Nàin soon saw Dwalin and, out of all the people in the world, Ersâ approach Balin to say goodbye to him. Nàin, upon seeing this, quickly nudged Fili in the side.

"Is that Ersâ?" whispered Nàin as she leaned closer to Fili.

"Yeah. They married not too long ago-"

"WHAT?"

Fili hushed her quickly as some of the passing-by Dwarves glanced at them strangely, "Are you honestly surprised?"

"Well, yeah! That's Dwalin! He, of all people, found love?"

"I understand why you are surprised, but you have to understand that it was Ersâ who proposed and Ersâ is clearly a feisty Dwarf if she dares to take on Dwalin," whispered Fili back.

"Wow… I would never think he could have it in him. I wonder if they'll have children," murmured Nàin before gasping, "Oh I bet that his children will have him wrapped around their fingers the moment they are born! He'd be such a cute father."

Fili chuckled at her words before a horn was heard. Both Nàin and Fili immediately turned into their leader-modes before taking a step forwards, all Dwarves turning to look at them. From off the side, Nàin noticed Thorin and Dis appearing to watch along with Thor and the two baby-twins. Dwarves around them cooed at the new babies while Thor rolled his eyes at them and went to stand in front of Thorin, mimicking his proud stance and calm demeanour as he watched his parents.

"Today is an honourable day for it marks the beginning of our fellow Dwarves' journey to reclaim Khazad-dûm. What they will face when they arrive there, is uncertain. What will be left of the once mighty kingdom, is uncertain," spoke Fili loudly, his dark voice reverberating and echoing against the walls and pillars. "But not all is uncertain. For I know that these Dwarves have the strength to retake those halls from the Orcs and I know that the Kingdom of Khazad-dûm will once more thrive under the leadership of Balin, son of Fundin. I am certain that Moria will be ours again!"

Upon his last words, the Dwarves listening cheered, raising their hands and clapping. Nàin saw Ori smile widely, a large book clutched in his arms. She saw Balin curtly nod his head as some of the Dwarves around him cheered him on for becoming a lord. She saw Oin proudly cross his arms over his chest, nodding his head at some words his brother and Gimli told him.

Oh how she wished she would see them again someday.


	22. Chapter 22, The Beginning of Moria's End

**We're nearing the end of this part of the story. Next few updates will go into depth of the children that this story is going to revolve around as well as reveal some of their secrets. Not to mention some more Fili/Nàin moments :)**

 **Thanks to everyone who favorited and followed!**

 **Nerd Queen: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad to hear you like Thor, he's gonna be in this story a lot :)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 22  
The Beginning of Moria's End  
**

* * *

Although Erebor was a large kingdom, both Nàin and Fili noticed that things seemed quieter when they walked through the Market or down in the Mines. They could sense that Dwarves had left the kingdom for Khazad-dûm. They could sense things had gone quieter.

Though years passed by and things changed, and it did not take long for the silence to disappear and be replaced by new voices instead. The Mines flowered again and trading became once more the main source for gold in Erebor. Dain visited from time to time and in return, Fili would visit him as well. Though Nàin rarely ever left the mountain anymore. Not after the disappointment in Rohan.

There had been barely any Orc-sightings either since the attack. Those who had been spotted had been few and easy to kill off, not to mention that those sightings were far away from the roads or any kind of civilisation. Thor, Thror and Aiwin had grown up to become children, all three of them inseparable. No real news had come from Khazad-dûm yet apart from one Raven from Ori years ago, telling them that they had arrived.

Bilbo and Nàin had resumed their letter-writing, now sending each a letter a month which she enjoyed greatly. At one point, Aiwin got to send a letter as well, even though her writing was rather bad still at that point, and Bilbo had seemed completely ecstatic about it in his reply.

No, not much did happen in those years. Until 19 years had passed since Erebor had been retaken, on a late autumn afternoon. Nàin was reading through Bilbo's latest letter while both Fili and Kili were trying their best to train the three youngsters. All of them were in the training hall, having arrived after Kili had finished a training session with his new guards to greet him, upon the wishes of the children. The greeting had ended with Thror betting that he could beat Kili in a swordfight, and when that swordfight had turned ugly and nearly caused Thror to throw a tantrum as he just could not win, Fili and Kili had decided to start training the young Dwarflings. Or course, all of them were using wooden swords, and nothing else.

Nàin smiled as she read through the letter about Bilbo's birthday. He was talking about how others his age were starting to feel old while he himself could still do exactly the same things as he had always been able to do. As always, he talked about his garden and the words he used to describe the Shire made her almost come back to the time when she had come there. As he wrote about the little lights that were still being lit during the evenings next to the road, she smiled at her memory of seeing those lights, and she wished to return to the Shire just one more time. She had to remember to compliment him on his writing skills and that, maybe, he should pursue a career as an author in her next letter.

From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something approaching her and as swiftly as always, Nàin quickly deflected the wooden sword swung at her before grabbing a hold of Thror's hand and pushing him to the side.

"I don't think so," said Nàin calmly, standing up from her chair as she let go of Thror's arm.

"But how!? I was sneaking!"

"You were very quiet indeed," praised Nàin before smirking, "But you forgot that I can still see you if you walk up to me from that angle."

Thror let out a groan to which Nàin ruffled his hair, a smirk still on her lips. She placed the letter back in the small satchel she had with her before following Thror to the others. Her heart filled with pride as she saw Aiwin managing to dodge one of Thor's attempts to hit her with the wooden sword before she elegantly twirled around and harshly hit Thor's hand with her own sword, causing him to let his fall to the ground in a clatter. She moved to point her sword at Thor's throat and smirked, "I win."

Fili chuckled as Thor huffed and walked away from Aiwin while Kili walked over to Aiwin and praised her, giving her some more tips on how she could hold her sword better.

"I don't like swords," huffed Thor. "I want to try fighting with an axe!"

"Oh, me too!" added Thror.

"You two are simply mad because you're not better than me at sword fighting," mocked Aiwin.

"Am not!"

"Am to."

"Am not!"

"Alright, alright!" hushed Fili, placing himself in between the three children so neither could see each other. Though Nàin saw Thor stick his head around Fili, giving Aiwin a foul look before retreating to his former position again. She couldn't help but chuckle at their antics. "No more fighting. You know very well that everyone has their own strengths."

In the middle of Fili's lecture, footsteps were heard walking up the training halls, causing all adults to turn their heads towards the person nearing them. Kildin appeared, flustered and out of breath as he seemed to have run up to them. Immediately both Kili and Fili tensed up, prepared for bad news from the captain of the guards.

"What is it?" asked Nàin quietly.

"Dwarves – Dwarves from Khazad-dûm! They're here. Back. With materials." Kildin leaned forwards to catch his breath, leaning on the lance he always carried with him.

"What?" exclaimed Nàin with a smile on her lips. She turned back to Fili and Kili who had approached her and Kildin. "This is fantastic news!"

"But why have they not let us know anything earlier? No ravens, nothing." Kili looked at Nàin and Fili with troubled eyes. He had never really forgiven either of them for allowing the Dwarves to return to Khazad-dûm even if it was a dangerous place. When the Dwarves had not sent any news back to Erebor, Kili had basically gloated about how he had been right. Though after Thorin had told him off about his behaviour, he instead had turned to being worried.

"I'll go downstairs to welcome them back," said Fili before glancing back at Thor, Thror and Aiwin.

"I'll stay with them," offered Nàin, placing a hand on her husband's arm. "You and Kili go to get some information out of the Dwarves and we'll be up in the Halls of the royals when you're finished."

Both Fili and Kili nodded their heads before following Kildin down the stairs to the western side of the kingdom.

"What Dwarves, mother?" asked Aiwin as the three children walked over to her. "Where are they coming from?"

"Khazad-dûm," replied Nàin with a soft smile, grabbing her daughter's hand while both Thor and Thror went ahead of them, bantering with each other. Aiwin had always been the one to show the most interest in the kingdom, which amused Nàin slightly. "The Dwarves of Erebor are retaking that kingdom."

"Why?"

"We… Because it belongs to us Dwarves," smiled Nàin, not wanting to say the true reason and accidentally mention something about the darkness in the world. After all, Nàin didn't want to scare her children.

"Oh…" she replied. "Makes sense. We should have what is rightfully ours."

Nàin chuckled as Aiwin puffed her chest up, mimicking Nàin's walk which failed horribly as her legs were still too short.

"Indeed."

The walk to the Halls of the royals took ten minutes, though once they arrived, neither of the children seemed tired in any way while Nàin still hated stairs beyond anything in the world. Thor quickly ran down the corridor, the two guards standing by the door bowing for the three children and their queen. He ran to a door Nàin had almost expected him to run to, when he suddenly stopped and hesitated.

"What's wrong?"

"What if he…"

Nàin furrowed her brow, stopping next to Thor in front of Thorin's door. She knocked carefully on the door and Thorin opened it. Immediately, Thor lit up and ran up to him. Although she was still confused about Thor's hesitation, she smiled when Thorin lifted up the child with that same joyful smile that Thorin always got when he saw either of his family.

"I hope we didn't bother you," apologized Nàin, Thror and Aiwin running down the corridor towards the living room area while Thorin closed his door behind him, joining the four of them.

"Not at all," smiled Thorin before his gaze flickered over to Nàin. "You seem worried about something."

"We just got news that Dwarves from Khazad-dûm have arrived back in Erebor," sighed Nàin.

Thor, who was still propped on Thorin's hip, joined in on the conversation, "With materials."

"Ore?" asked Thorin.

Nàin shrugged, "I do hope so. The work on the defences have come to a stop. I don't like it."

As they reached the living room area Nàin saw Dis sitting on a chair close to the hearth, knitting while Aiwin was propped on her knee with a bored expression on her face. Nàin chuckled while Dis tried her best to make Aiwin interested in her knitting. Though Thror seemed more interested than Aiwin, the little boy sitting in front of the hearth on the floor, staring at the knitting as he listened intently to Dis' words.

Thorin and Nàin sat down on a chair each close to Dis and Thor settled in on Thorin's lap, content to simply be in his presence even though his attention was on Nàin. Nàin did not notice how Thror glanced back at his brother, mimicking the way he was sitting and holding his chin up the same as Thor was.

"You think they come with bad news," deduced Thorin.

"I… I don't know. I'm happy they've returned. And I'm very relieved that we finally get the ore material we've needed for a long time but… Kili's right. It's weird that they've not let us know of anything they've been doing. They brought ravens but they never sent them."

"Maybe the ravens died," tried Thorin.

"And they couldn't get any new ones? No, there is something else going on… And I do not like it."

The rest of the time, Thorin and Nàin waited for Fili and Kili's return, sitting quietly in their chairs as they watched the children. Thor remained close to Thorin even when Thror tried to pay tag with him, while Aiwin had finally managed to get away from her grandmother's constant talk of how ladies should be so she could join her twin-brother in a game of tag. And when Fili and Kili finally returned again, Dwalin, Gloin and Gimli had joined them. Neither of these Dwarves usually came up to the Halls of the royals on their own accords, and so Nàin deduced that either Fili or Kili had asked them to join them. Aiwin ran over to Kili who lifted her up and sat her down on his knee when each and every Dwarf who had arrived took a seat on a nearby couch or chair. Dis returned to her knitting, pretending to not be listening even though Nàin caught her glancing over to them a few times. Thror stayed quiet, staying away from everyone over by the hearth.

"They've brought almost enough ore for us to finish the defences three times over. Best part is, half of the ore is Mithril," smiled Fili, causing both Thorin and Nàin to let out relieved breaths.

"That is great news," said Thorin.

"Surely not all of you have come up here just to tell us this?" asked Nàin quietly.

Kili sighed.

"The materials were the good news," declared Gloin, glancing at his son once before continuing. "The bad news is the reports of Khazad-dûm the Dwarves brought with them. There are _a lot_ of Orcs there. Not only that, but also goblins and other filth. There's a constant battle going on down there."

"However," Gimli chimed in with a proud look. "Cousin Balin has truly done a magnificent job. The Eastern Halls are retaken along with some of the upper levels of the mines in that area. Those Goblins and Orcs are nothing for our Dwarven warriors."

"If they continue to have this much luck," continued Gloin, "we're going to have all of Khazad-dûm back in no time!"

"Steady on," sighed Fili. "Khazad-dûm is big. It'll take a long time."

"A long time maybe, but it will happen," added Gimli with a smile.

Dwalin stayed quiet.

"I say we use the Mithril on the defences by the Entrance and the backdoor," said Kili, quickly changing the subject as Aiwin had given him a worried look.

"I agree," agreed Fili, "Those are our weak spots. They should have the best defence."

"Good," smiled Nàin. "We're finally getting somewhere with our plan."

"The Dwarves from Khazad-dûm want to return tomorrow morning already. They asked for some more reinforcements," reported Dwalin monotonously.

"Alright," agreed Nàin, looking over at Fili who also nodded his head, "I suppose we can spare some, right Kili?"

"Yes," replied Kili curtly.

"Thank you, your highnesses. I'll tell them that," replied Dwalin as he stood up, bowing before Nàin and Fili once before leaving.

"Is he alright?" asked Nàin quietly.

"That's his brother over there, of course he's not alright," muttered Kili.

A silence took over between the Dwarves and soon, Gloin and Gimli had had enough of the awkward tension between the Dwarves, bidding farewell and leaving. Kili left as well, leaving Aiwin with a pout on her face which, luckily, was easily replaced by a smile again when Fili lifted her up to his lap. Nàin moved over to Fili and Aiwin, cuddling up against Fili's arm and relaxing slightly now that she could return to being Nàin instead of purely only the queen.

Aiwin shifted slightly in Fili's lap so she could inspect the bracelet her mother was wearing around her wrist; the, by now rather worn-out, leather bracelet Maybeline gave her over 20 years ago. It made Nàin wonder what had become of that young girl. Perhaps she was a mother of her own now, or she had turned down a darker path…

Fili leaned back in the sofa, placing an arm around Nàin's shoulders before letting out a content sigh, "Ah, my two favourite girls…"

"What about me?" asked Thror with a pout, quickly making his way over to Fili and Nàin.

Aiwin crossed her arms over her chest, "You're not a girl."

Thror seemed taken aback by his twin-sister's response, a dazed look appearing on his face.

"Now, now," said Nàin quickly, lifting Thror up into her lap. "Your father just expressed himself wrong."

Thor jumped down from Thorin's lap and jumped up next to Fili and Aiwin, hugging Fili tightly around the chest.

"Indeed, I meant my favourite people in the whole world," smiled Fili, engulfing all four of them in a tight hug. All three children squealed and laughed, while Nàin simply looked up at Fili with a loving smile.

 _"How'd I ever get so lucky?"_ she thought, leaning up and placing a kiss against Fili's lips.

* * *

Later that night, Nàin was relaxing on hers and Fili's bed, reading a book she had been told by Bilbo to read. The book had been written by Elves and had been one of the few elven made books the Master of the Archives had been able to find in the many libraries of Erebor. So far, she did enjoy the poetry and the beautiful descriptions of nature. Though she preferred beautiful tales of heroes in mountains or mines.

Fili came in with a sigh and a shake of his head, "Those three are going to be the death of mother."

"What do you mean?" asked Nàin with an amused tone to her voice, placing the book in her lap as she let her eyes follow Fili.

He walked over to the closet, beginning to disrobe all the while explaining how their children had been "heatedly discussing" why they shouldn't wear silken robes because the other Dwarves in Erebor did not. Not only that, but Aiwin had accidentally let it slip that she was not interested in the lady-like things Dis wanted to teach her, which had caused Dis to basically lecture Aiwin about the importance of ladies in Erebor and how the rumour of there being no Dwarven women at all was going to come true more and more if there was no distinct difference between the sexes. Something all three children had gone against before Fili had had to intervene as the hour was getting late and way past their bed-time. Dis had left in a hurry, muttering things under her breath that neither Fili nor Nàin thought were nice things, while Thorin had simply smiled.

"Tomorrow, you get to help put the kids to bed, not me," sighed Fili before flopping down onto the bed, now wearing his pyjamas.

"I don't know, honestly. It sounded like quite an enjoyable few hours in my ears. You sure you want to miss it?" joked Nàin to which Fili scoffed.

Nàin shifted over the bed, placing herself next to Fili with her head on his chest.

"Give me Orcs, Goblins or Dragons any day over yet another argument between mother and her grandchildren," sighed Fili, his arm sneaking around Nàin.

"Poor thing," purred Nàin, propping herself back up on one elbow as she began to trace small circles on his chest, Fili staring up at her with expectant and excited eyes. "What in Middle-earth can I do to make you feel better?"

A smirk appeared on Fili's lips, "A lot, actually."

Nàin squealed as Fili rolled over her, placing kisses up and down her neck until finally landing on her lips…

* * *

"My lord!" The voice echoed against the large stone pillars at the same time as footsteps began to shuffle towards him. Kili stopped walking, turning around to see who had called for him. It was late in night and the only Dwarves still awake were guards and those few poor Dwarves that had been asked to take a nightshift down in the smelting chambers. The mines were always open, night and day, especially when work needed to be done for the defences around the mountain.

The Master of the Archives came running, as best as the old Dwarf could, towards Kili. His breath sounded like someone was scraping two pieces of wood together and Kili had to help steady the old man as he came to a halt in front of him.

"What is it?" asked Kili, noticing the letter the old man was holding in his hand. His imagination began to play out horrible ideas of what the letter could hold while the old Dwarf caught his breath.

"I was working on filing the information we have gotten from master Ori about Khazad-dûm and the bravados they have achieved when this letter caught my attention. It is from Ori himself, assigned to the King and Queen," wheezed the Master of the Archives. "I cannot continue my work before they have read it."

"Why not?" asked Kili worriedly.

"Read it, my lord."

Grabbing the letter, he unfolded it carefully. There, with rather hasty written words, could be read a short letter from Ori indeed. It was no longer than three sentences, which surprised Kili.

 _Please do not store away these scrolls before the King and Queen have seen them all. I want them to feel the same pride I am feeling now. Thank you for letting me go on this journey._

 _-Ori_

"Alright. I'll give this to them in the morning. No need to wake them up now. They'll come by tomorrow during the day and then you can continue your work," said Kili, holding onto the letter.

"Thank you, my lord. And goodnight." The old Dwarf bowed before turning and beginning to leave, walking in a slow pace this time.

Kili glanced down at the letter one more time. And for the first time since those Dwarves had been sent away, Kili smiled about the ordeal in Khazad-dûm. Not because they now found themselves in a war against those foul creatures that now inhabited the mines, but because Ori truly seemed happy.

Hopefully, Ori could stay happy the rest of his life there in Khazad-dûm.


	23. Chapter 23, All Shall Fade Part 1

**We're moving on to one year before the fellowship of the ring is formed. Thor, Thror and Aiwin are in their late fifties. So still young in Dwarven eyes. We're nearly at the very last chapter. I think there might be two more after this, and then we'll move on to the fellowship of the ring! I'm excited! :D**

 **Thanks to everyone who favorited and followed!**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 23  
All Shall Fade Part 1  
**

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 **1 year before the Council of Elrond, year 3017, third age.**

"Ah, I'm so excited! I love this day!"

Aiwin did a twirl before continuing to jog down the stairs. Both Thor and Thror watched her with smiles.

"I just love the food," smiled Thror. "I can do without the whole dancing thing."

"Well, mother and father want us to dance, so we probably should," chuckled Thor.

Thror rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. Aiwin had already reached the last steps, and turned around to wait for her brothers.

"Come on! The faster we eat our breakfast, the faster we get to prepare for tonight!"

Not hurrying up, Thor and Thror finally reached Aiwin and together, the three young Dwarves reached the main hall. The past couple of years, breakfast had been served simply up in the Halls of the Royals, though seeing as they had guests to entertain, breakfast was served downstairs that day. Aiwin was the one to open the large doors, ignoring the guards' attempts at opening them for her. With large smiles, she entered before her brothers, greeting Dwalin and Ersâ; Gloin and Gimli, Dain and his wife; Dis and Thorin and lastly her father, king Fili who sat at the head of the table reading letters. Servants pulled out her chair for her and her brothers, the three of them sitting themselves down.

"What is the cause of this smile?" asked Fili, smiling himself as he looked at his daughter.

"The feast of course!"

Fili chuckled, shaking his head at his daughter, "Your uncle Kili did this. He's the one that made you so very-"

"Likeable?" Kili's voice echoed against the walls and he, followed by Nàin and the children entered the hall. "Had she become like you, brother, she would have been ghastly!"

While the Dwarves around the table all laughed, Fili only rolled his eyes, returning to his letter-opening.

Kili greeted the Dwarves swiftly before both children took everyone's attention away from him. Nàin smiled, following the children as they shook everyone's hands with large smiles on their faces. Thor and Aiwin they hugged, though they unconsciously moved past Thror and ran over to their father instead to hug him.

"Mori! Mili! Sit down over here, next to grandmother," smiled Nàin, thanking two servants who pulled out the childrens' chairs for them. Still smiling, Nàin sat down next to Fili at the head of the table. She greeted her husband by planting a kiss against his lips and gently stroking his beard once.

Six years ago, Nàin had been surprised to find she was pregnant again. Neither of them had expected it to happen again, not after the difficult birth she had had with Aiwin and Thror. Yet, still, it had happened. And only a year later, it had happened again. She did not complain, of course, and had only been happy about it. New guests still told her how surprised they were to see so many daughters, though both she and Fili figured it was her Rohirrim blood that made the vast number of daughters possible. After all, Dwarven daughters were rare.

Food was served immediately after Nàin had sat herself down, her and the children being the last ones to arrive. And after at least an hour, the guests had already left. As accustomed, the family stayed put until all guests had gone, so as to not be rude.

"Any news?" asked Thorin as Fili read through a particular letter one more time.

"Nothing particular," shrugged Fili, putting the letter back down again.

"Then, perhaps, we should leave you to it," said Thorin, a tone in his voice that made Aiwin and her brothers furrow their brows.

Dis, Thorin and Kili sat up, grabbing both Mili and Mori before leaving the hall. As the doors closed behind them, Fili cleared his throat.

"As you may know, you all are almost of age. Especially you, Thor," began Fili, looking at his three children in front of them. "Your mother and I have been talking for quite some time about this. And we will need an heir to the throne."

"I thought we all are your heirs?" asked Aiwin.

"Yes. But not officially. It would be a good idea to have one particular heir to train and give a title," explained Fili.

"There are many more reasons for why we want to set the title of heir on one of you, but those we do not want to share with you until you are of age," added Nàin.

"And who have you chosen?" asked Thror, his eyes eager.

"We've chosen a good warrior. Thor."

Thror's eyes darkened, "The first born."

"That was a factor, of course," said Nàin before smiling over at Thor.

Though she found Thor only staring at Thror and the glare his brother was sending his way. Aiwin curled down in her chair, recognizing that look on her twin-brother's face.

"Thor?" asked Fili with a smile. "It would be a perfect time to announce our heir during the feast this evening-"

"The feast is in honour of the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. I don't like that idea." Thor's voice was monotonous, and Fili was taken aback slightly.

"Very well. We'll do it during a feast of our own-"

"No, you won't. I'm not accepting the title."

Nàin glanced at her husband, who bit down a remark before forcing a smile onto his lips, "Why?"

"It's just not something I want."

"You are the first-"

"Doesn't mean I want the title!"

"Now, we should calm down-" tried Nàin, though Thor stood up abruptly.

"There's nothing left to talk about! I don't want the title, that's it, mother."

"Don't use that tone against your mother," began Fili though Thor had already turned away and begun to leave.

Nàin and Aiwin shared a glance, and Aiwin quickly stood up and followed Thor.

"I can take the throne," said Thror quietly. "If he does not want it, I can take it."

"You wouldn't be _taking_ the throne, Thror," scolded Fili. "You would be the heir. No, Thor is the better fit."

Thror did not reply, but simply looked at his own hands in silence.

Fili sighed, leaning back in his throne. "He doesn't want it."

"We'll give him some time. Let him think about it. I'm sure he'll come to his senses," said Nàin quietly.

Thror abruptly stood up, and left the hall as well.

"You were very rude to him, Fili. You should speak to him."

Another sigh left Fili's lips, "I do not know what to do with that one. I could never calm him as a baby, and I could never speak to him as a child. Now, he's just slipping out of my hands even more."

"At least try?" asked Nàin, grabbing his hand in her own. Her pleading look was all that made Fili nod his head in agreeance.

* * *

"I am not going to the feast tonight." Thor was furious, pacing back and forth in his room while Aiwin simply watched. "What – me as the heir!?"

"Thor, be glad they at least asked. Custom is that you're simply the heir, whether you want to or not. They're still giving you a choice-"

"I doubt it." He turned to her, stopping his pacing for a moment. "Did you see the look on father's face? He's expecting me to agree! They're just asking out of curtesy."

"You don't know that-"

"Ah, it doesn't matter!" He began to pace again. "I'm not accepting it."

Silence fell in the room as Thror suddenly stopped in the doorway. Thor's anger seemed to fade away slightly at the sight of his little brother, though Thror only huffed and walked on down the corridor.

"He hates me now…"

"No, he doesn't," sighed Aiwin, rubbing a hand over her face, wondering how her happy feast-day could go south so fast.

"He's clearly always wanted to follow in father's footsteps, and now he doesn't get to… Because of me. Yes, he hates me."

"How about-" began Aiwin, standing up and walking over to her brother, "- we all go to the tavern tonight to celebrate. You'll be away from father, you'll get to talk about this with Thror, and we'll still have a good time!"

Thor sighed, though still nodded his head at her idea.

"Now," she said, placing her hands on his face, "Tell me the real reason for why you're denying this. And don't give me that talk about Thror, because you know as well as I that he will get over this eventually."

"Thorin."

Aiwin had not really expected such a quick answer, and opened her mouth to continue convincing Thor to tell her the truth, though simply closed it again at his answer.

"Thorin?"

He pulled away from her grasp and sighed.

"Oh… The sickness?"

"I saw him once. When I was a child. I can't get the image out of my head… And, I've _seen_ it. I've seen what I can become if I sit in that throne. I'm not destined for it."

"Are your visions always truthful?" asked Aiwin with a knowing look. "Or can they be deceiving? Do they not sometimes show you glimpses of something that will happen if something else is not prevented?"

"I… Yes… But-"

"Then that vision might have been deceiving for all you know. Don't base your choice on something unsure. Base it on what you feel, in your heart."

Thor only nodded at her.

* * *

"And? Did you talk to Thror?"

Fili and Nàin continued to clap to the beat, smiling even though they were having a serious conversation. They were sat on two high chairs, overlooking the feast. Nàin's handmaidens had grabbed Mili and Mori to dance with them and Dain was currently on the table, singing a song with slurred words. A band was playing with drums and brass instruments, and everything was merry. Even Thorin was happily moving along to the music, his greying beard and hair almost forgotten as he moved as though he was still younger than Kili.

"Not really…"

"Why?" asked Nàin.

"I looked, but couldn't find him," he said quickly.

She sighed, though continued to smile so as to not show the guests that they were having less of a merry conversation than them.

"Talking about Thror, where is he, Thor and Aiwin?"

* * *

"Coming through!" shouted Thor over the loud sounds of Dwarves feasting. He held the two pints of ale in his hands tightly as he moved through the crowd of drunken Dwarves and over to his table.

He silently handed one ale to his brother, and Thror grabbed it after sending him a faded smile. They had talked, though Thror still felt slightly bad about everything. To become like his father was all he wished for in life, but he and his father had never really gotten along. There seemed to be more darkness in Thror than in Fili, and all their conversations usually ended in an awkward silence. Not only that, but Thror was nothing like his father no matter how much he tried.

On the other side of the tavern, Thror caught sight of a young Dwarven woman who was clearly checking him out and waving him over. Thror saw she looked good, but could for the life of him not imagine kissing her. The thought almost seemed unnatural to him. His gaze moved over to a table next to the woman, where a pair of Dwarven miners were sat, all male. The feelings inside of his stomach as he looked at them made him bite his lip and look away quickly…

Aiwin sat with Gimli, listening to him drunkenly flirting with her as though she was not half his age at all. Thor walked over the table and squeezed himself in-between them, earning a grateful look from Aiwin.

"This is fun, right!?" she basically screamed over the loud noise in the tavern. Meanwhile, a drunken Dwarf placed himself on a table in the centre of the tavern, beginning to sing a song that was the favourite of many Dwarves who enjoyed a good time in a tavern.

"Yes, 'fun'!" shouted Thror back, taking a sip from his ale.

As the song ended, Aiwin chimed in happily, _"And down he fell, that wretched Smaug!"_

Laughter filled the tavern again, and people went to the bar to get refills before the next song began. The Dwarf up on the table smiled at the applauds he got, bowing low and spilling his ale in the process. When he looked back up again, his eyes caught the sight of Aiwin and the table she was sat at. His eyes grew wide as Thor and Thror caught his gaze, and suddenly a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Lads! We have royalty amongst us!" Every gaze landed on their table, silence falling over the tavern. "Was it too fancy at your own feast?"

Aiwin shrunk back in her seat at the attention, glancing at Gimli, Thror and Thor. Though Gimli had already fallen asleep and was not of much use.

"Aye! How about we listen to a song from the royal feast!?" The Dwarves in the tavern all cheered at the idea and the Dwarf jumped down from the table, his gaze locked on Thor.

He began to excuse himself, though the Dwarf had already grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the table in the centre of the tavern. Silence fell over the Dwarves again as Thor was forced up on the table, expected to sing. Aiwin could not help but laugh at her brother standing there, wide-eyed in the centre of attention while Thror's eyes darkened again, even though he tried his best to smile and laugh like his sister.

A song Bofur had once taught him came to his mind, and he was about to sing it… when the world around him suddenly changed and shifted.

 _Not now…_ he thought.

Fire burned before him, a row of horses and their riders galloping over a field while they were taken out one by one by arrows flying through the sky.

He had no control over himself anymore. Instead, he suddenly found himself in a hall. Someone his size stood before a long, tall table void of people save but one man; a large man at least twice Thor's size, who sat at the head of the table. He was eating calmly, feasting almost on his own while the young man Thor's height trembled and looked utterly destroyed about something. Behind them, Thor could see people dying; Dwarves, Men, Elves… Fire…

The little man began to sing, a sad song Thor had never heard before and which almost broke his heart.

 _Home is behind, the world ahead.  
And there are many paths to tread.  
Through shadow, to the edge of night,  
Until the stars are all alight.  
Mist and shadow, cloud and shade.  
All shall fade. All shall fade._

He saw a tear fall down the young man's face, and Thor wanted to walk forwards and ask him what the song was about, when suddenly a hand had grabbed his arm, forcing him out of the vision.

Thror's face came into view as Thor stumbled down from the table, forced to walk back to the table by his brother. The tavern was so quiet he was sure a needle would be heard if it was dropped to the floor. Everyone was staring at him and Thror…

 _Had he sung that song out loud himself?_

"What was that!?" whispered Thror, forcing Thor back down in a chair, Aiwin quickly grabbing his hand with a sympathetic look on her face. Thror turned to the other Dwarves, lifting his ale, "All drinks on us!"

The tavern woke back to life, everyone cheering and applauding while Thror sunk down onto a chair close to Thor.

"What was that?" he asked again, more calm now.

"I don't know…" replied Thor simply, truly not knowing.

The evening went on, though Thor could not make the horrible images of fire, death and shadow go away.


	24. Chapter 24, All Shall Fade Part 2

**Next chapter will be the first following the fellowship of the ring! Super excited to begin with that! And again, I just want to let everyone know I'm following the books (sorta) when it comes to the LOTR trilogy due to the fact that I don't have any other means of watching the movies apart from on DVDs, but I don't want to continously pause and stuff... But I will add some lines from the movie, it'll be a nice mix or something :P**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 24  
All Shall Fade Part 2  
**

* * *

His wife stood silently out on the balcony with her nightgown on. A chilly summer breeze made her hair flow beautifully and the moonlight made it shine. Still, after so many years, Fili found himself falling for her over and over again each day and at that moment, his heart swelled with emotions.

Upon feeling his gaze on her, Nàin turned her head slightly to glance back at him. He could not help but simply gawk at her beauty, not being able to reply with a smile even though she smiled at him. In fact, her smiling only made him ache with even more love.

He moved over to her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders in a way that almost seemed as though he was afraid his strong, warrior hands were going to break her if he touched her too much. Finally caving in, he let his fingers slide down her arms until he was forced to move his entire body up against her back. Leaning his chin on her shoulder, he moved his nose to the crook of her neck to inhale her scent and he finally smiled when she leaned back against his touch, moving her own hands to catch his and intertwine their fingers together.

"What is troubling you?"

Nàin let out a soft sigh, "I have not heard from Bilbo in so long… His last letter was troubling. He seemed sad…"

"I'm sure he's fine."

"He's old, Fili," she breathed. "Older than most Hobbits…"

"You think he might…?"

Squeezing his hands slightly, she shook her head, "I don't know."

"Surely that is not all that is troubling you?" asked Fili. "This has happened before. Last time, his nephew had simply forgotten to give him his letters."

"Well, yes. But his nephew is not five anymore."

"And?"

"And… Look over there."

She pointed a finger towards the horizon. The balcony was facing the south-east. And there, far away but still close enough for them to see it, was a dark mist hanging in the air. It seemed as though it was hanging over something, though what was over there in their horizon, Fili was not sure of.

"Darkness…"

"It's close. Something is happening. Something is wrong."

* * *

The three of them, Thor; Thror and Aiwin, returned to their chambers later that evening after they had delivered the drunken Gimli back to his father. Both Thror and Aiwin followed Thor into his chambers however, as they were curious to hear about Thor's vision he had had.

"Truly, it was just… vague. I don't even know where I was. There were statues and what not, but… It was just random, I suppose."

Thror and Aiwin shared a glance, watching Thor as he sat down on the bed, "What is wrong with me?"

Aiwin shook her head, "Nothing. Don't talk like that." Quickly, she made her way over to him, grabbing his hand. "Who doesn't have secrets? Who isn't weird?"

"You two," replied Thor quietly.

Thror scoffed, joining the two of them on the bed, "Brother, you are so wrong."

"I have no beard. The other women make fun of me because of it," explained Aiwin. "Mother has the same problem. Mili and Mori will probably also have the same problem. Father was too young to become king when he did and people still talk about his age restricting him from being a good king. Kili's beard's barely grown out yet. Thorin has the Sickness dwelling over her and Dis – well, grandmother is grandmother, always judging the younger generations." Aiwin looked over at her twin-brother who stayed silent. "My point is, we all are weird and flawed. Your weirdness is just a little bit… weirder than ours."

Thor sighed, his eyes glancing over at Thror. Aiwin knew the bond between the two brothers was incredibly strong, but also incredibly toxic. Thor would never succumb to jealousy, but Thror had always succumbed to it. Anything Thor could do, Thror had to be able to do too which was the entire reason behind Thror's anger over the whole situation about the heir of Erebor. Aiwin also knew that Thor hated, more than anything else, to see Thror hurt or sad, and when Thor had been asked to be the heir, his decision to decline the title had only been based on the fact that he wanted his brother to still like him. Now that Thor was vulnerable and Thror was not showing any sign of wanting to talk about his flaws, Thor only felt worse which Aiwin picked up on easily.

With a stern look towards her twin-brother, Aiwin urged him on to actually make his brother feel better, "Thror? I'm sure you too have something to add."

Finally, Thror looked over at his brother and sister. He took in the devastated and embarrassed look on his brother's face, and the stern look on his twin-sister's face before he seemed to feel defeated, nodding his head.

"This evening, earlier when I went to the bar to get more ale for us, I noticed a couple of women waving at me. They were surrounded by men and I suppose they were attractive but… I didn't _feel_ anything towards the women. I could not look away from the men. I could not stop the pure jealousy from spreading through my body when I watched the men look at the women with such lust, knowing they would never…" Aiwin's once stern look softened, never having heard this before. Thor seemed taken aback by his brother's words, though stayed quiet, offering only emotional support. "I guess, I just don't find women attractive."

Silence fell over the three siblings.

"I-I mean, I've known for a while." He grew nervous after the silence, stammering away which was unlike Thror to begin with.

Then, Thor grabbed his hand, noticing the tear that fell down his brother's cheek. Just like when they were children, the two comforted each other by simply holding onto each other's hands. It made Thror smile, even though the smile was forced.

"Nobody judges you in this family," said Aiwin, looking at Thror before turning her face to Thor. "Nobody judges anybody in this family."

Thror and Thor smiled before the three of them embraced each other.

"Pretty good feast after all," commented Thor.

"It had a good ending at least," smiled Thror.

Aiwin yawned, earning chuckle from her brothers to which she glared.

"I'm going to bed…" she sighed, rubbing her hands over her eyes.

"Night sis," smiled Thor, placing a quick kiss to her cheek to which she frowned, while Thror simply waved at her as she left.

Thror stood up as well, though stayed put by the bed with a serious look on his face. With anticipation and curiosity, Thor watched him until he spoke up, "You should take the title…"

Thor raised his eyebrows at his younger brother, surprised by his words.

"Out of either of us… You're the best suited heir." Thror did not look at Thor as he said either of this, and his words did seem forced… Yet only hearing his younger brother saying this made a heavy weight lift off of his chest. No, he did not want the throne in fear of the Sickness, but he knew his father would not stop asking him until he did say yes, and to make sure he would not have to continuously see the disappointment on his father's face, Thor would probably agree anyway. Though he would hope, no matter how dark and awful it sounded, that he himself would die before he had to take over the throne. And if there was a way out and away from the throne, he would take it.

Glancing back at his brother, Thror nodded his head before quickly leaving. Thor himself sighed, rubbing a hand over his short, braided beard. It had been an eventful day… Hopefully, things would settle down in the near-future.

With a troubled look on his face, Thor lied down on his bed later that night and dreamed troubled dreams about the throne and the horrible vision he had had in the tavern.

* * *

 **Four months later**

 _To Queen Nàin of Erebor,_

 _I'm glad to say that I have met you before under some interesting circumstances and I do believe that there are some urgent matters that are going to make us meet once again. I have sent the same letter to your husband telling him just the same information as I am going to tell you._

 _An evil has awoken. A darkness has been cast over Middle-Earth causing me to send letters to representatives of each species in Middle-Earth. Something has awoken in Mordor and we need to come up with a solution as to how we are going to be dealing with this._

 _Send someone, I beg of you, to Rivendell as soon as possible. You will all be very welcomed here and we will have a meeting in which we discuss this urgent matter. I have asked King Fili to stay in Erebor as he is going to be needed there if my suspicions are correct. Have guards and scouts ready on your land and do not dismiss any information which your people can tell you about evil lurking about in Middle-Earth. I fear this darkness may not only bring forth Orcs._

 _Lord Elrond of Rivendell._

Just outside of the entrance to Erebor, where normally people of all sorts would be entering and exiting the mountain to walk to its vast markets further down the mountain, the Dwarves were saying farewell to their queen and the heir to the throne, as they prepared to embark on a journey to Rivendell. Not a lot of Dwarves knew why she was going, nor why it was so important. Though some, some who had read the signs or heard the tales, knew why and what an important meeting she and her son were preparing to go to.

"Be careful," said Thorin quietly as he hugged Nàin tightly.

"I will," replied Nàin before moving to the side, letting Thornoid say goodbye to Thorin while Nàin said goodbye to Dis quickly.

"Keep a close look on my children. Don't let Fili spoil them with presents," joked Nàin as she let go of Dis, earning a smile from the elderly lady.

"Of course, my dear," said Dis, before Nàin and Thor once again moved to the left, shifting to the next person.

"Once again you get to go on an adventure without me," said Kili, referring to when he was shot by an arrow and forced to stay in Laketown in order to heal while Nàin went with the others to kill Smaug.

"If I remember correctly, you got quite an adventure yourself as well," said Nàin before hugging Kili, the newly grown beard tickling her cheek. "Be careful here, alright?"

Kili nodded his head, a serious look on his face before Nàin shifted to the left again, letting her son say goodbye to his uncle while Nàin stood before her family. The two youngest children immediately ran up to her and she crouched down in order to greet them in a hug.

"You both listen to your father, alright?" said Nàin as she gave both Mili, her youngest daughter, and Nnmori, her second youngest daughter, a kiss on their foreheads. "Your father _and_ your siblings."

The two children nodded their heads before taking a few steps back as Nàin stood up again, looking at Thror and Aiwin. Aiwin had tears in her eyes, while Thror looked rather upset, though not for the same reasons as his twin-sister. He, as he was not the heir, had not been allowed to join Nàin even though he had wanted to. When people had told him he was too young, he had been filled with rage seeing as he was only a couple years younger than Thor.

"Be careful!" exclaimed Mili before she ran over to Thor with her sister in tow, hugging him tightly, not wanting him to leave.

Aiwin quickly hugged her mother as a tear fell down her cheek. "Be careful, mother," she whispered as Nàin held her close to her.

"Take care of your sisters… I need you to be the woman of the family now, my dear. Dis will help of course."

Aiwin nodded before letting go of her mother and running up to Thor, overwhelming him with another hug as her sisters had not let go of him yet.

"Take care of them," said Nàin, earning a simple nod from Thror without him looking up at her, trying his best to show her how disappointed he was about this. She simply sighed and turned to Fili who shook his head at his son before holding his wife in his arms, kissing her lips passionately.

"Don't get hurt," said Fili to which Nàin simply nodded her head.

"I love you…" said Nàin, pressing a kiss to Fili's lips again before letting go of him reluctantly.

"I love you too," said Fili as he watched her jump up on her pony. "And, I will see you again soon."

Nàin did not reply to this but only kissed him again.

She looked back at him and her children, then at Kili, Dis and Thorin while her son jumped up on the pony next to her. Dwalin held her pony for her as she moved to jump up, though a call made her stop and turn back around again.

"Mother! Don't forget this."

Thror stood next to Nàin's pony now, handing her the dagger she had found all those years ago in Erebor. The dagger with which she had killed Azog at the Battle of the Five Armies.

"Thank you," said Nàin as she took the dagger and placed it into her belt, smiling at Thror who smiled back at her, seeming to not have wanted to let his mother go with a stubborn and child-like pout on his face after all.

Thror looked over at his older brother and nodded his head at him to which Thor replied with a nod of his own head as well before they all rode off towards the path that led to Rivendell. Before it was too late, Nàin looked back at the Dwarves she was leaving behind… at Fili, at Dwalin, at Kili, at Thorin, at Dis, at her children…

If all went well, she would return to them again. Yet, still, there was that nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her she might not return ever again.


	25. Chapter 25, Rivendell

**Just a small reminder that from hence forth, I will make my own concoction of the plot, taking most from the books but also using some of the stuff in the movie and leaving out some parts that the Jackson left out as well.**

 **From now on, the characters I will be focusing on are Nàin, Thor and Aiwin. I'll let you know from who's point of view you are reading, don't worry, it won't get confusing :)**

 **Hope you all will like what I've come up with!**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 25  
Rivendell  
**

* * *

Gloin, Gimli, Thornoid and Nàin accompanied by Legolas and some of his fellow Elves entered Rivendell after a long journey. The Dwarves had not decided to ride with the Elves at first, but since they had met on the way and were headed the same way, the two groups had decided to travel together anyway.

Legolas and Nàin had met before, at the Battle of Five Armies, and although they could reminisce about it, the two of them found not much else to talk about. However, Thor had made more of an effort, asking questions about the Elven kind Nàin had never even thought about. She had watched from behind astride her pony during the days as the two talked, having smiled to herself and felt proud that she had managed to raise her son into have such a big heart that he was open to other cultures. Although she saw herself as more open minded than Thorin, she was still not as open as Thor seemed to be.

The journey had taken a while, though not as long as it had taken for Thorin's company when travelling from Rivendell to Erebor. Mostly because there were no real threats along the way; the group having been able to ride during the day and sleep during the night without anything happening. From afar, some of Legolas' elves had seen some Orcs, though none of them had moved too close to the group for anyone's liking, and so things had remained calm during their trip.

And once they did arrive in Rivendell, Nàin reveled in the memories from over 60 years ago when she had first set foot in the elven kingdom. The magic that lay over it made her feel that sweet calmness again, just like it had back then. She saw that nothing had really changed. Apart from the fact that the trees were now in their autumn state, leaves falling in dark brown shades.

A couple of elves greeted them, Legolas and his kind taking over the conversation in their tongue while the Dwarves stayed together.

As Nàin was helped down from her pony by her son, more people entered Rivendell. These were Men of Gondor which Nàin recognized by the tree painted onto one of the Men's shields. As they jumped down from their horses, the more important looking man walked over to Nàin almost immediately, bowing down low before taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles.

"I believe I am honored to be standing in front of the lady Nàin herself, queen of Erebor," said the man as he stood up straight again, placing his thumbs in his belt and smiling down at her.

"That is correct. May I ask who you are, sir?" asked Nàin, smiling back at him as Gloin, Gimli and Thornoid stayed behind her, a couple of Elves bringing their ponies to the stables.

"Boromir, Steward-prince of Gondor," he said, causing Nàin to bow her head at him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Nàin, looking back up at his face again as he towered over her.

"I have heard quite a lot of you," he continued as he started walking, Nàin following him with the other Dwarves behind her. "And therefore, I must begin by asking if the rumors are correct. Are you truly part Rohirrim?"

She straightened her back at his question but kept her smile on her lips. "I am. The rumors are true. My mother was born in Rohan but fled to Bree during her youth. My father was a Dwarf of Erebor."

"Fascinating," said Boromir before another man appeared, earning the attention of Boromir.

"My lord, I am pleased that you could come. Now, if you do not mind, I believe there is someone waiting for queen Nàin just up those steps," said the man with dark hair and dark clothes, a sword attached to his belt along with two daggers – and his face was one she recognized, even if it took some time: Thorongil.

He winked at her before walking away with Boromir, leaving Nàin there confused.

"Mother?" asked Thornoid as he shifted to stand before her.

"Go with Gloin and Gimli to lord Elrond. Tell him… I'll be there soon," said Nàin before she started walking up the steps that the man from earlier had gestured towards.

Something inside of her told her that she knew who was waiting for her there and excitement filled her causing a smile to appear on her lips.

On a balcony not too far away from her, a Hobbit was seated surrounded by four other Hobbits. The first Hobbit was old-looking and seemed to be telling the other four a fascinating story which she had not wanted to disturb, though as the younger Hobbits noticed her, the older Hobbit stopped talking and turned his head towards her.

The smile on her face widened as she walked over to him, feeling the curious looks from the other Hobbits as she crouched down in front of the old Hobbit whom's eyes seemed to lighten up at the sight of her.

"I told you we would meet again, my dear Bilbo," said Nàin, placing her hand on his cheek as he smiled back at her.

"My dear Nàin!" he exclaimed. "It's been so long yet you don't seem to have aged at all!"

A soft smile replaced her earlier excited one as she shook her head. "I just grew lucky."

"Come now, sit down and tell me all about Erebor," said Bilbo, gesturing for the space beside him on the small bench he was sitting on.

She quickly sat down, smiling at the other still curious Hobbits. "Who are these Hobbits?"

"Oh! How rude of me. This here is Frodo Baggins, son of Drogo, my heir," said Bilbo, gesturing to the Hobbit with blue eyes and dark hair who nodded his head at her with a curious smile. "Next to him stands Samwise Gamgee, my gardener." Nàin smiled at the Hobbit as he offered his hand to her.

"My lady! It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Bilbo has told me so many stories of you," said Samwise, smiling excitingly before letting go of her hand and standing back again, his cheeks flushing a dark red.

"Nice to meet you too, Mister Gamgee," said Nàin, smiling softly at him.

"And these two here are Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck," said Bilbo, gesturing to the two remaining Hobbits who smiled at her, nodding their heads.

"Hello," said Meriadoc sweetly and awkwardly, causing Nàin to smile again.

"Now, go on," said Bilbo. "How's life in Erebor? And how is dear old Thorin?"

"Erebor is restored again though it will most likely never be the same as it once was. Nevertheless, we are all happy to be back home again. The men of Dale are our allies now and even the Elves have managed to come to terms with us," said Nàin, earning a chuckle from Bilbo.

"Now, are you sure that it's the Elves that came to terms with you or was it the other way around?" asked Bilbo, earning a giggle from Nàin as she nudged Bilbo in the side, making him chuckle as well.

"If I may ask," said Samwise, a blush creeping up on his cheeks. "Could you tell us some stories of Erebor?"

"Oh, yes! We would be delighted if you could!" said Peregrin, earning agreeing nods from the other Hobbits.

Nàin smiled and chuckled at this. "Of course! I'd love to. But first, I believe I am needed at the feast that lord Elrond has made for us all. Shall we?"

Bilbo declined, saying he had already eaten and was going to go talk to the Elves and exchange more stories with them and maybe even some songs. Nàin smiled at him and instead offered an arm to Samwise who gladly and jokingly took it as she and the four Hobbits all walked down to the balcony where the feast was being held.

She sat down next to her son, who in turn was sitting next to Gimli and Gloin. Sam, Merry and Pippin joined Nàin while the Elves positioned themselves further away from them. Thorongil was nowhere to be seen during the feast. Though the steward-prince Boromir was positioned with the rest of his people. His eyes often glanced over at Nàin and her son, and she wondered why he was so interested in her. His fair hair reaching down merely to his shoulders was in no way attractive to a Dwarf such as she, though his face had a rather attractive symmetry to it. The large nose reminded Nàin of Fili.

When he noticed her staring at him, he smirked. Though Nàin quickly looked away, blushing and cursing herself quietly for having stared at him. What would he think of her now?

Frodo had not been able to get a seat next to Nàin and his friends, instead he had found a cushioned seat next to Gloin, who was talking fervently to Frodo about the company of Thorin Oakenshield, as Frodo had asked him about it. Thor joined in from time to time along with Gimli, adding details to Gloin's stories that Nàin had never heard. She smiled lightly at that, knowing those details were told all over Erebor, although they were not true.

Sam cleared his throat from next to Nàin, causing her to look over at him.

"Your highness-"

"Nàin, my dear Sam, there is no need for formality between friends."

The Hobbit smiled brightly at her, and Pippin and Merry bit their lips at the look on Sam's face, " _Nàin_ , may I ask if you know who they are?"

Sam gestured over to the top of the table, where the Elves following Legolas had sat down. There, Elrond sat, keeping watch over his feast while, from time to time, eating a piece of his green food – the food Nàin and the other Dwarves still barely touched. Beside lord Elrond sat a beautiful creature, so beautiful even that it invoked envious thoughts in Nàin's mind even though she was without a beard and without braids. Her skin seemed to glow with innocence and beauty, and the uncanny likeliness between her and Elrond was hard to miss.

"I believe you have met lord Elrond," smiled Nàin, "And I do believe, perhaps, that the woman beside him is his daughter."

"What a beauty," breathed Merry.

"Men are all alike, are they not? It does not matter if you go to Hobbiton or Mirkwood, men will still be men."

Merry blushed slightly, causing Pippin to laugh.

"Have you met her before?" asked Sam, ignoring his friend's antics.

"No."

Gandalf sat beside Elrond, talking to Legolas and his kin. Briefly, as though he had heard her voice, he looked over at her and dipped his head in a greeting. His smile told her he most certainly recognized her, and she smiled back.

The feast soon came to an end. Apart from the conversation with the three Hobbits about the daughter of Elrond, Nàin had said no more. Thor had taken over the conversation now, telling tales about Erebor alongside of Gimli. When Pippin had asked Thor about his title, his eyes had darkened slightly before he had answered with a low voice, "Crown prince of Erebor."

Elrond and his daughter arose, catching everyone's attention. Together they announced the feast to be over before they led them all through two large doors and into another grand hall. Gloin, Gimli and Thor stayed close by Nàin as she walked a little ahead of them, following the Hobbits as they found themselves walking next to Gandalf. She heard them mention something about a 'hall of fire', and when the group came to a stop in the new hall, the doors closing behind them, she indeed saw a large fire twinkling away in the center of the hall. Apart from that very fire, there was no other source of light, making the entire room have a strange, orange glow to it.

Bilbo was already sat there and the four Hobbits swiftly made their way over to him. Gloin did too, astounded to see the little Hobbit again. From across the room, Nàin caught Boromir glancing at her. She thought she saw him moving towards her to speak to her, and she quickly grabbed Gimli and Thor's arms before making her way over to the Hobbits and Gloin. There, she sat and listened to the rest of the tales the Hobbits and Dwarves shared, smiling at the fact that she had once more found her dear friend Bilbo again.


	26. Chapter 26, Council of Elrond Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 26  
Council Of Elrond Part 1**

* * *

After many tales and many songs sung, the hall of fire began to be less crowded. Outside, the moon had replaced the sun and tired people were excusing themselves. With each person leaving, an Elf followed them to show them the way to their appointed guest room.

Thorongil joined the now small crowd late in the evening, a pipe in his hand and a kind look in his eyes. He glanced once over at Elrond and his daughter before joining the Dwarves and Hobbits over on their side of the hall.

"Ah! Dúnadan!" greeted Bilbo, a smile stretching over his lips that reached from ear to ear.

The Dwarves looked back at the tall, dark haired man as he bowed his head in a greeting to the little Hobbit.

"Strider!" greeted Frodo, causing Nàin to furrow her brow.

"So many names for one man," said Nàin, "I remember you as Thorongil."

"And none of the names are wrong. I have many," he said. "Where Frodo met me, I am always introduced as Strider. Where you, my lady, met me, I was known as Thorongil."

"And Dúnadan?" asked Frodo.

" _The_ Dúnadan, my boy! A folk from up north," explained Bilbo.

"And what _is_ your real name?" asked Nàin.

"My real name is not my favorite name," was his only response.

"Who is he, mother?" asked Thor.

"Um, Thorongil, meet my son, Thornoid. Thornoid, this is the man who saved my life-"

"I thought I recognized your face," said Thor, reaching out a hand to him. "Nice to meet you."

"My face?" asked Thorongil, shaking his hand.

"A story for another time, perhaps," replied Thor simply, glancing over at his mother with uncertain eyes.

Although he seemed baffled by Thor's reply, he did not say anything about it. Instead, he smiled a gentle smile at the young Dwarf before greeting Gloin and Gimli. Finally, he excused himself, his eyes set on the daughter of Elrond as she left the hall. Nàin watched him follow her with curious eyes.

"It is late," stated Gloin. "Shall we, my queen?"

Nàin nodded her head, bid farewell to the five Hobbits in front of her, and walked with proudful steps towards the exit. Gandalf and Elrond bid goodnight to them as they passed, and Thor and Legolas exchanged a nod of their heads. By the exit, an Elf stood waiting for them. She asked them to follow her to their rooms, and so they did.

Walking over bridges and through hallways Nàin had not seen last time she was there, the four Dwarves soon reached their guest rooms. Gloin and Nàin were given their own separate rooms, while the two younger Dwarves were made to share one larger room. The Elf bid them goodnight and left them standing before their doors. Almost immediately, Gloin opened his door with a yawn, said a curt goodnight, and left the three Dwarves on their own.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, mother," said Thor with a smile, hugging her goodnight.

"Indeed," she smiled, nodding her head once at Gimli before the two younger Dwarves entered their room.

Sighing, Nàin entered her room, closing the door behind her. Her bags had been placed by the bed already and candles had been lit for her. Though the silken sheets and comfortable bed looked very appealing to her after such a long journey and such a long feast, Nàin was apprehensive about going to bed. Not because of where she was, in a city filled with Elves – no, those petty thoughts had left her a long time ago, even though she still did not trust Elves to do things as well as Dwarves.

Instead, she was apprehensive because this would be the first time she slept on her own without Fili in over three decades. Of course Fili had often left Erebor to visit Dain in the Iron Hills, which would leave her to sleep on her own, though there was something different about sleeping on her own for a night, knowing Fili was not that far away and still having his pillow for his scent, and to sleep so far away from him without anything to remind her off him. Out on the road, things had been different as there were no beds there and the circumstances were not really ones in which two Dwarves would normally cuddle.

With those thoughts coursing through her mind, she walked over to the bedside table and placed her dagger on it. Her sword was amongst her things in the bags. Removing her travelling coat and brushing out her hair, she left the room she had been appointed and began to walk around for a bit. She was tired, but not tired enough to fall asleep immediately after lying down. And if she wanted to avoid the pain of missing Fili, she would need to fall asleep immediately.

Lost in her own thoughts, she began to aimlessly walk around. Her mind replayed memories of her husband, the time she had asked him to become hers, the time he had given her the braid to show everyone who she belonged to, the time they reunited after Fili had almost died in Laketown after Smaug's attack – but mostly, her mind replayed all the lovely times Fili and Nàin had shared in Erebor. In fact, her mind was so busy replaying those memories, that she, with a smile on her face, accidentally walked straight into someone who rounded a corner right in front of her.

Unluckily for her, the person in question was of the race of Men, meaning her face was in a low position compared to his body as the two walked straight into each other. Blushing madly, she stepped backwards, gathering the courage to look up at the man as he chuckled and steadied her.

"I'm sorry, your highness." She sighed when she recognized that voice. Looking up, she confirmed that it was indeed him, Boromir, who she had walked straight into. "I thought everyone had already gone to bed, and I was not looking."

"That is okay," she said, lifting her hands up, "I should have been looking too."

"May I ask what you are doing out here all by yourself?"

She looked around, finally noticing that she was on the outskirts of Rivendell. She had, in other words, walked all this way while thinking about Fili… though she could not tell him that.

"I, was, um… unable to sleep, so I thought I could walk around a bit and it seemed I walked a bit too far," she managed to lie with a sheepish smile on her face.

Boromir chuckled at this, "Can I walk you back?"

Albeit she did not fully like Boromir, she still said yes. Mostly because she did not want to be rude to a man from Gondor, seeing as Erebor had no real connections with Gondor yet.

Silently, they began to walk again.

"I can tell you are in pain."

She stiffened slightly at that, looking up at him as he walked beside her with a troubled look on his face.

"Do not worry, I am not your enemy," he chuckled. "I know Dwarves are a race difficult to win over. But my kin want you no harm. Especially not me. I am simply curious."

"I know you are not my enemy. I fear we all have a worse enemy… No, it is not that," she said. "It is simply… Your first question to me. And your continuous staring at me."

Boromir nodded his head, "I have made a bad first impression on you."

"Well…"

"Then I ask of you to let me start over," he said, stopping. She looked up at him, turning fully towards him with a sheepish look on her face. He bowed down, grabbing one of her hands and kissing her knuckles, "I am Boromir, son of the steward of Gondor."

Albeit she still did not fully like him, she could not help but chuckle at his antics and shake her head at him. "I'll play along. I am Queen Nàin of Erebor. Pleasure to meet you."

Boromir smiled and let go of her hand, beginning to walk again.

"If only all men were so eager to please…" she joked, causing him to chuckle as well.

They talked the entire way back to her room, where he stopped, kissed her hand again, and left her alone. The only thing they had talked about were stories about their own kingdoms, exchanging tales of wonder as though they were old friends, and from what Boromir had told her, Gondor was a place she would love to visit someday. They did not, however, talk about anything but material things. Boromir's previous question was left unanswered, the way she had wanted it to go.

* * *

The next morning, Elrond's secret meeting took place right after the Dwarves had had breakfast. A bell sounded through the valley, calling to meeting and when the Dwarves all reached the balcony upon which the meeting would take place, everyone sat waiting for them.

All members sat in a half-moon, facing Elrond who himself sat on a chair in front of the half-moon of Middle-earth citizens. In the middle of the half-moon and Elrond was a lonely table made out of a log. Autumn wind blew past Nàin as she sat down with her Dwarven kin in-between Gandalf and Legolas, brown and yellow leaves fluttered around on the ground, one touching the tip of her boot. She noticed Frodo and Bilbo sitting next to Gandalf, though saw no trace of the other Hobbits. She figured that, seeing as they seemed to be nothing but friends of Frodo and Bilbo, they had not been invited. Perhaps they had not even been invited to tag along to Rivendell, but had ended up joining anyway. Boromir was there as well, sitting on his own next to the Elves while Thorongil, or Aragorn or Strider, sat next to Boromir.

Elrond began the meeting by introducing everyone to each other, in case they had not yet met. The only two people who, Nàin thought, had not really been introduced to each other nor talked to each other yet were Boromir and Legolas along with his kin. They nodded briefly at each other when Elrond introduced them.

Then, the council went on to explain all sights of evil they had seen. Nàin and Gloin together explained how they had had a group of Orcs in the woods north of them, and had also explained that this was the reason for why Erebor had been reinforced with Mithril steel, in case a greater attack or threat were ever to come. Neither spoke of the fact that Nàin had been in a coma and had seen the Eye. Though Elrond seemed to know more than he let on.

"Is that truly the entire reason for why you decided to reinforce your defenses? I heard tales of a deep sleep," said Elrond. All council members looked at the Dwarves.

Thor shifted uncomfortably in his seat, remembering it well. "There was one."

"Thor," mumbled Nàin warningly.

"We are talking about evil. They should know," added Thor.

"Leave it to Dwarves to leave out things in their tales they wish no other to hear of, but which are important nonetheless," added Legolas, which in turn caused Gimli to growl.

Elrond was about to interfere, when Nàin raised her hand, "We will tell you. _I_ was affected by something evil after the birth of my second son and first daughter. I remember little of it, but I was unconscious for many days."

"Weeks," corrected Thor.

"When I awoke, I remembered the sight of a great eye. And fire…"

The council members all shifted in their seats, while Frodo looked slightly unsure of what was making everyone so uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"And how did you awaken?" asked Legolas.

"I do not know why. Just that I did. And I'm glad for it."

Elrond gave Thor a knowing look. The young Dwarf had never told anyone of what he had done, unsure of whether or not it would cause the Dwarves distress seeing as they had not the best of relations with Elves.

"Mithril," breathed Boromir. "That mineral is very rare."

"Indeed," gloated Gloin. "Only in the depths of Moria will you find them."

"It is true then. The Dwarves have re-entered the mines," said Gandalf, looking for reassurance from Nàin.

She nodded her head, "Although we do not know whether the mines prosper or not. Over forty years ago, we sent Dwarves there. Balin led them, and Oin and Ori went with him. For many years, they sent us minerals and messages, telling us of how they were fighting the evil there and seemingly also winning over the evil. But now…" She quietened, and it was enough for everyone to understand.

More talks of evil followed, the Dwarves listening as Boromir told of the awakening of Mordor and the shadow it cast over his city, while the Elves all spoke of troubling feelings and encounters with veil things that had not existed since darker times.

"Indeed a greater evil is behind all of this. This greater evil is the reason for why we are all gathered here. Frodo…" Everyone's eyes landed on the small hobbit. He looked uncomfortable with the attention, though still stood up and bravely walked towards the table in front of everyone. There, he placed an object, an object which Nàin had almost been able to predict would be the subject of their council.

The magic ring of Bilbo.

 _The_ One Ring.


	27. Chapter 27, Council of Elrond Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 27  
Council Of Elrond Part 2**

* * *

Silence fell over the council, every pair of eye latched onto the One Ring in front of them.

"I'm sure many of you have heard the tales of the One Ring, and the other Rings of Power which were forged during the Second Age by Celebrimbor."

 _One Ring to rule them all…_

"And therefore," continued Elrond, "I shall not repeat it. For time is not on our side."

"This gives us the advantage… With this ring, we can defeat Sauron," announced Boromir, a strange glint in his eyes. "We can rid Mordor of its shadow and use the ring for good. I will carry it, if I must."

"No one said anything about someone taking it," retorted Nàin.

Boromir bowed his head, "And yet, it can help Middle-earth, make fallen kingdoms rise again. Like your mines; Moria. Or my city-"

"You cannot control it. It seeps into the hearts of men and corrupts them. Just like it did to Isildur. Does your people not know this ring as Isildur's Bane?" asked Aragorn, earning a foul look from Boromir.

"Who are you to talk of my people?" he snapped.

"He is Aragorn, lord of Arathorn and rightful heir to the throne of Gondor," spoke Legolas with a snappy, almost sassy voice, "He has all the rights."

Boromir looked baffled, and so did others who knew Aragorn. Nàin was stunned, having thought of him as perhaps a very good soldier, which would be the reason for why he was invited to the council, but now things looked more clear.

He was a king.

Gandalf arose. A sudden darkness fell upon everyone in the council as Gandalf spoke words Nàin could not understand. Once he stopped, Elrond looked completely abashed.

"That tongue has never been uttered here in Rivendell," breathed Elrond.

"That vile tongue is being spoken all around Middle-earth in this present day: Black Speech. The language of evil doers who work under Sauron. That ring is what keeps Sauron alive. His soul is attached to it, without it, he cannot regain his strength. No one will use this ring," said Gandalf, still standing up, "but we will destroy it and rid this world of Sauron's filth once and for all."

Boromir quietened, still baffled by Aragorn's real identity, but also baffled by what Gandalf had said.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" asked Gimli, rising from his seat and walking over to the ring. Before anyone could stop him, he had tried to dent the ring with his axe. Though instead of causing the ring harm, his axe broke into pieces while Gimli was lunched backwards. Thor and Gloin helped him back up and Elrond looked mildly amused.

"The ring cannot be destroyed so simply," explained Elrond. "It can only be destroyed by throwing it in the same fires from whence it came; the fires of Mount Doom."

"One does not simply walk into Mordor," sighed Boromir. "Mountains surround that evil place, and those mountains are being well watched by what lies in Mordor."

"There are paths. Secret paths that not even Sauron knows of," explained Gandalf, having sat back down. "It is not impossible."

Boromir sighed again, though remained silent this time.

"Then we can all agree that we cannot use this ring, but must destroy it," exclaimed Elrond. "Now there is only one question left. Who will carry it to Mordor and do what must be done to save Middle-earth?"

Nàin tensed, unconsciously leaning over to her son in order to be prepared to shield him should Elrond pick at random. Though he seemed to stay silent, quietly wondering to himself who should take it as he inspected everyone's faces.

"Oh, alright!" the voice of Bilbo said. "I know what you all are thinking and yes, this all started when I picked up that ring in Gollum's caves… Very well! I shall end what I started! _I_ will take the ring."

"Don't be foolish," exclaimed Nàin. "My dear Bilbo, you have been through enough! This is not on you and you should not feel forced to take this quest."

"Indeed," agreed Gandalf. "I fear the ring has stretched your life-time out, but I also fear that the Ring's influence on you has stopped. You are aging again, my dear Bilbo, and you cannot go."

"What you are saying is I'm too old. Just speak clearly! I do not take offense," muttered Bilbo.

"I will take it," said Legolas.

"Why should we Dwarves entrust the Elves to save Middle-earth when they cannot even come to _our_ aid when we need it?" asked Gimli, earning a glare from Nàin.

"If I remember correctly, my father came to your aid when the Orcs had nested in the forest North of your kingdom," retorted Legolas. "We _do_ come to your aid."

"We did not need your help! And he came only for his own will-"

"Then I will take it," announced Boromir.

"The Ring will corrupt you, as I have said already," declined Aragorn. "You cannot."

"I can-"  
"We Dwarves can take it! Trust a Dwarf to actually do what is needed from us-"  
"I would not trust a Dwarf with this if I was under death-threat-"  
"I'm sure the Elves will handle it-"  
"The Elves will not-"

The arguing got worse, and soon most of the council members had stood up to argue and discuss who would take it. Even Gandalf joined in and Nàin stood up to try and calm down Gimli and Gloin. Thor and Frodo stayed seated along with Elrond. Though Frodo was not listening to the arguing… He was staring at the Ring, knowing deep down that he had already been tainted and that, if he did not speak up, the others would too be tainted. Besides, Bilbo wanted to finish what he had started, it seemed only fitting that someone with, sort of, his blood flowing through his veins would do what he had wanted to do.

"I will take it."

Nàin and Gandalf were the first two to hear his voice.

"I will take it!"

The arguing died down, everyone turning to the Hobbit who by now had stood up, staring at them all with determined eyes.

"But you-" began Boromir, continuing the arguing even more. Nàin quickly shushed him, done with the childish arguing of the men. She walked over to the Hobbit.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded his head, "Although, I do not know the way."

Bilbo clasped his hands together, a proud look on his face. Nàin glanced at Elrond, who nodded his head at her thought. She looked back at the young hobbit, "Then you won't be alone, I-"

" _I_ will go with you," finished Thor, pushing past his mother and walking over to the Hobbit, "You have my battle-hammer."

"Thor!" exclaimed Nàin, though nobody seemed to pay her any notice as Gimli walked past her, joining Thor in front of Frodo.

"And my axe."

The two Dwarves placed themselves behind Frodo, Nàin staring at her son with wide eyes.

"And my bow," added Legolas, stepping towards Frodo as well, giving him a nod of his head before joining the two Dwarves behind the Hobbit.

"And my sword," said Aragorn, joining the others behind Frodo.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one," added Boromir, not looking too happy about what the council had come up with, "If this is indeed the will of the council, then I will do my best to help. Gondor will see it done."

"Of course you will not have to make this journey without me this time," added Gandalf, patting his shoulder once before joining Aragorn.

"Very well then," began Elrond. "You will be-"

"Wait!"

Everyone looked over to the voice that had just called out, seeing Samwise running over to them. He quickly made his way towards Frodo, placing himself next to him, "Where he goes, I go."

"Indeed. Seeing as one cannot even separate the two of you even though one is called to a _secret_ meeting of utmost importance," added Elrond, causing Sam to blush and bow his head, while Frodo simply looked amused.

"Wait up! We're coming too!" The two remaining Hobbits then ran up to Frodo, placing themselves there with determined looks on their faces.

"Merry? Pippin?" asked Frodo with a smile.

"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us," smirked Merry.

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of… mission… quest… thing…"

"Well that rules you out then," mumbled Merry, earning a glare from Pippin.

"Ten companions. So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

Nàin stared at her son who was actively avoiding eye-contact with glazed over eyes. Did he not understand how difficult this mission would be? How dangerous? Did he not understand that the Dwarves of Erebor needed him to be there as the crown prince?

Did he not understand she needed him to be safe?

"Great!" exclaimed Pippin with a smile. Though his smile faltered quickly as he asked:

"Where are we going?"


	28. Chapter 28, Promises and Goodbyes

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 28  
Promises and Goodbyes**

* * *

The Fellowship of the Ring would be leaving early the next morning. Due to how large this task was, and due to the fact that without this task done properly, all of Middle-earth would be in danger and maybe even lost forever, there was a strange gloom over Rivendell that evening. The council had finished at midday, though Nàin seemed to never have left the council. In her mind, she was still replaying everything that had happened, analyzing every part of it.

Especially the part where her son signed up to go to _Mordor_ , the land of shadows, to destroy a ring that was owned by a vile, evil entity who just so happened to be _living_ in Mordor as well. Perhaps it was selfish, but Nàin did not want her son to go and save Middle-earth. She wanted him to return back home with her, so she could reunite with Fili without there being the guilt of having left her son to go to his doom.

Something that bothered her even more was the fact that she herself had not signed up to go with him and the others. She had been through many adventures in her past and could be of use to Frodo… yet, her heart only longed to go back to Erebor; to Fili…

Thor had been avoiding her most of that afternoon, though he could not keep avoiding what she had to say to him. And in the evening, when the Dwarves were all headed back to their designated rooms, Nàin asked to speak with Thor alone before he went to bed. He seemed reluctant, though couldn't exactly ignore her request. She was still his mother, and his queen.

"Here we go…" sighed Thor as they stood outside of her door, staring down at each other, "just speak up, mother…"

She wanted to yell at him, tell him not to go and force him to stay… but then she remembered something Dis had once told her, about the time Kili had signed up to go retake Erebor, just like his older brother. He had been no older than Thornoid was right now. Dis had yelled at him at first, having tried to force him to stay home and be safe, but then, she had told Nàin she had realized something: that her boys both were not really boys anymore, and that they, like many other Dwarves, craved adventure. Nàin had at first thought that surely not all Dwarves could crave adventure – surely there were those who were happy enough to stay at home and life. But then she remembered Ori, and the way his eyes had shone when he got the chance to go on yet another adventure. And then she remembered what an adventure her life in Erebor had been… and she realized that life itself, no matter how boring it may be to others, always was the one true adventure Dwarves craved.

"Just tell me… tell me why you're doing this?"

Thor's eyebrows twitched at his mother's soft voice, not having expected it. Albeit he had a gift, he couldn't foresee everything.

"Tell me this is not to run away from something? Something you may not truly want?"

"Thror can become an equally as good crownprince as myself. And if not him, Aiwin is always a good choice-" began Thor.

"Thor, you should not go out on this quest just to run away from something else. It will not give you the right motivation to see it through, it will be the death of you," she pleaded, still finding herself asking him to return with her back home. She reached over to his cheek, but he moved his face away from her hand.

"I know what I'm doing, mother. Being there, on that poisonous thrown will be the death of me. I will not have my fate being like Thorin's-"

"Don't speak of him like that. And you will not-"

"I saw Thorin once, when I was a child. I can't stop thinking about it. I don't… I don't want to end up like that, I'm sorry," he said quietly. "But I don't want to. This… This is me. Going out there and defending Middle-earth, that is me."

"Thor, please-"

"Don't. Just don't," he sighed, turning around and finally entering his room, avoiding her calling his name.

She let out a sigh, leaning her head backwards to look up at the star clad sky up there. Her heart was beating a million beats per second, though she tried to remember what Dis had told her; tried to be like her in this situation. A lot of good had come from Kili being allowed to go where he wanted… but then again, he had been shot in the arrow as well and nearly died. Nearly died _twice_.

A stupid feeling overcame her then and there. Because although Kili had been saved the first time by an elf, she had a feeling her would have died had it not been for Nàin being there as well. Same was for Fili and Thorin… But now she would not go with Thor. She would have to rely on others to keep him safe…

"Not all people are suited for a throne," said a voice from behind her, causing her to gasp and turn around. "My apologies, I did not mean to frighten you."

"Aragorn, my lord," he greeted, causing him to cringe.

"Please, don't…" he spoke softly as he walked over to her. "I'm sorry to have listened in on the conversation, but I was headed back to my room and… I couldn't help it."

"I get the feeling you can sympathize with my son," she spoke carefully, causing him to sigh.

"I do, apparently, have the right to a certain throne in Gondor…"

"And why do you not want to take it and claim it as yours?" she asked quietly. "You are a kind man, you can do much good in this world."

"Kind words, but they are not that true," he spoke. "I am the heir of Isildur. His blood flows through me. And he failed all of the Men that day when he let the Ring corrupt him. I simply… don't feel like I'm suited for the throne."

"You are a ranger, you roam and go on adventures. Sitting on a throne might indeed feel strange to you at first, especially if you feel as though you should not. But I can assure you that what flows through your blood does not define you. I don't let my blood define me. And neither should Thor," said Nàin quietly. "Thought, it is not my place to push you."

Aragorn smiled kindly at her, bowing his head once before beginning to leave.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, causing him to turn back around again.

For a brief moment, she saw something glittering around his neck. Though as soon as she had seen it, the glittering thing seemed to hide itself again underneath of his silken shirts.

"Can you promise me something?"

Aragorn only nodded his head, looking slightly unsure of himself.

"Promise me to look out for him. I know Gimli will too, but… he can get a little excited at times and forget what he should be doing. I trust you as much as I trust him, so please… make sure he comes back home to me," she said quietly.

For a while, Aragorn and she simply stared at each other. Though finally, he bowed his head again in agreeance, "I will do my best," before leaving her alone.

His promise soothed her worry slightly, though she still knew that the upcoming morning would be difficult for her to cope with.

 **Thor**

The fellowship was gathered, everyone wearing their lightest of travelling gear. Even if they were going to Mordor, and even if they did expect some kind of trouble on their long journey, they were not going out into battle, but instead going out in secrecy. To travel light would mean more agility, and less noise.

Thor had his battle-hammer on his back, forged down in the fires of Erebor for his 50th birthday. He wore ordinary chainmail underneath a golden shirt and green dark blue pants, with a travelling cloak of dark blue material kept together around his neck with a beautiful golden pin. He had a small bag as well, filled with food and a few medical supplies his mother had given him.

All around him, the fellowship stood, preparing for the travel, and behind them those who were not joining stood to watch them leave. The gate through which they were leaving was nothing alike others, made out of bricks and filled with poison ivy hanging all over it. It was pretty, but gloomy as well in Thor's eyes. This was his path away from what he feared, but he had seen things that would happen if he took this path, and they were not pretty.

Many more of the company seemed rather depressed about leaving, yet none spoke of it. There was a tension in the air, as though none of them were going to see those they left behind in Rivendell.

Thor glanced back once at his mother who immediately walked over to him, handing him something he had never in a million years thought he would be allowed to touch.

"This is not mine," he declined, shaking his head. "It belonged to your father-"

"Who was your grandfather. And he said to me in his letter that he wanted whoever came after me to also have it," she spoke quietly, no trace of a smile nor happiness left in her eyes.

It did pain Thor to see his mother like that, but this was what he needed to do. There was nothing left in Erebor but angst for the throne he knew he'd one day have to take over, and that was nothing he wanted. Then again, the people he was leaving behind…

"Alright," he said, taking the dagger from her. "Tell Thorin… Tell father… Tell them all I will be doing this in the name of Erebor."

From next to them, Gloin grabbed Gimli's face and firmly smashed his forehead against his in a powerful goodbye between father and son.

"Good luck, my son," she replied quietly, placing one last kiss against his cheek. "Don't get lost."

"I won't." And for the first time there that day, he smiled at her.

Little did she know, that was going to be the last smile from her son she would ever see.


	29. Chapter 29, Close Calls

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 29  
Close Calls  
**

* * *

On and on they walked, with no encounters or troubles. The land was dry and easy to walk on, naked trees surrounding them and dead leaves crunching underneath of their boots. Nàin's dagger was safely hanging from Thor's belt, tucker underneath of his coat, and he found his hand constantly reaching for it.

"To be away from home on your own for the first time can be a strange thing," spoke Boromir to him that night when they stopped, sitting around a fire. Gimli had already gone to bed, and so had the four Hobbits, though Aragorn, Gandalf and Boromir were still up. Legolas as well, though he was off scouting the area to make sure their campsite was indeed safe. "How are you coping?"

Thor shrugged, not being able to help the fact that he thought it to be a strange question to ask someone you barely knew. Then again, Boromir was a bit strange. Not really someone you could like, but not really someone you could dislike either. He had a way to carry himself with an arrogant pride, but had a warm heart that obviously wanted nothing but good old-fashioned righteousness. From the corner of his eye, Thor noticed Aragorn staring intently at the two as they talked, while Gandalf was off in his own thoughts, gently puffing on his pipe.

"Well, I guess." Once more his hand unconsciously moved over to his dagger, which Boromir caught sight of, though did not comment on.

"The first time I left home on my own was to wage war against Orcs. My father pushed me into it. I still remember my little-brother's eyes as he watched me leave, pleading me to stay safe… And I also remember the pride when I came back, unwounded after a glorious victory. I hope you will be able to feel that pride when you return to your mountain after a glorious victory with us."

Although Boromir smiled, and although Thor did too, they both felt… strangely about those words. Thor could see that, as his smile faltered after the question had popped up in his mind of whether or not he would return, Boromir's smile faltered as well. Though whether his smile faltered for the same reason as Thor's had done, he was unsure of.

The rest of the evening was spent in silence.

 **Nàin**

Three days had passed since her son had left Rivendell. Gloin seemed merry to have a son who went out on adventures, expecting them both to return after victories with tales of their amazing adventures, yet Nàin was not as sure about everything as Gloin. Whenever he did mention it, she simply stayed quiet.

Their journey back begun soon enough, and Elrond had been there to bid them farewell.

"I hope you we will meet again, and that when we do, the world will not be as dark as it is now," he had said to her.

Looking back at his words, she truly did wonder if she actually would ever meet him again.

 **Thor**

Days had passed by. The company had grown more accommodated with each other. Everyone had gotten used to each other's quirks and strange habits, and also each other's different humor. Friendships had been made and a clear leadership had been created as well. Of course Gandalf, the wizard, was the one to lead the group onwards, always walking in the lead and always deciding when and where they were going to rest. But people were by now also looking up to Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas for leadership. Albeit maybe Aragorn and Legolas came with some more experienced advice to the wizard, it was obvious who were the ones that would be listened to the most.

Strangely enough, Thor, Boromir, Pippin and Merry had formed a rather curious friendship. They sat together in the evenings, they often walked together during the days and they simply felt comfortable around each other. None of them were alike the other, yet they could still talk freely with each other without fear of being judged.

Though that did not stop Thor from bonding with the others as well. Aragorn always found a reason to suddenly be walking next to him, or join him during the nights he had to keep watch. Often he asked if Thor was alright, and normally Thor would find it annoying as he was not his father, but there was something about the answers Aragorn gave him and the way he seemed equally as unhappy about thrones that made him appreciate Aragorn's watchful eyes on him – they simply seemed to alike.

Though it did not become obvious that Aragorn was looking out for Thor, the youngest in the group apart from Pippin, until one night. Sam had been left to keep watch, and he had placed himself close to Billy, their only pony who was carrying most of the food and supplies they needed for the journey. Before Thor had closed his eyes to go to sleep, he had noticed Aragorn join Sam (something told Thor that Aragorn was not too keen on sleeping unless he truly needed to), and only an hour or two later had the entire company been awoken by Aragorn shouting.

"Stay still and close to the ground!"

Someone had glided over to Thor, pressed a hand against his back and made sure Thor indeed did not move too much. Only when, whatever had just happened, was over did Thor see that it was Aragorn.

He stood up, the rest of the company mirroring him.

"Those were crebain," announced Legolas, his eyes up to the sky.

"What were they doing here?" asked Boromir.

"Spying…" replied Aragorn in a low voice. "I've felt it since we entered this part of Middle-earth. It's too quiet. Our voices seem to reach far, further than they should were we to not be alone, and they seem to quake the earth…"

"If a ranger such as Aragorn feels uneasy in these parts, then we all should feel very uneasy," announced Gandalf.

"We cannot stay on our current path. We need more shelter," said Aragorn.

Thor looked around himself. Indeed, they had left the forests that had surrounded Rivendell a few days ago, and had come upon what seemed to be a never-ending field. There were rocks here and there big enough to give shelter, but it was not as much as trees or mountains might give.

"I don't understand," announced Thor, standing next to the four equally as confused Hobbits.

"Crebain are a sort of crow. They never venture this far away from their forests," explained Gandalf. "They might have switched alliances."

"They are spying for Sauron," said Frodo, suddenly realizing the actual threat they were on. His hand reached up to something around his neck, and only the members of the fellowship knew this something was the One Ring.

Thor grew worried, "Then where can we go? This is the path to Mordor."

"There are other paths. Though they may add some days to our journey," replied Gandalf before his eyes landed on Aragorn. "The Redhorn Gate."

"To reach it we must go through the pass of Caradhras." As Aragorn said this, both he and Gandalf turned towards a large mountain stretching high up into the sky. The tip could not be seen due to the thick mass of dark clouds hanging over it. "And I fear the weather may be against us."

"It is either some harsh weather, or hiding from those spies. If they go back to their master, we are all exposed," added Gimli with a gruff voice. "Then again, why go over a mountain when you can go _under_ it. Gandalf, I say we take the path through Khazazd-dûm. Our people will welcome us, give us food and mead to warm our bellies. It is much better than snow."

Gimli glanced back to Thor for back-up, and Thor nodded his head. There was nothing more he craved than to see his people again, and to be in a mountain once more. Besides, Balin would be there along with Oin and Ori, and he had not seen those familiar and friendly faces since his childhood.

"Aye, I agree. It is much a friendlier path," announced Thor.

"I will not take our company anywhere near those mines." Gandalf's voice was absolute, and both Thor and Gimli felt no need to argue with the wizard, as there was no use. His eyes were determined enough, and one could not win an argument with a wizard.

"Then take a path past the mountain to lead us to Gondor. From there we can take a safe road to Mordor-"

"I will not lead the ring within five yards of any city of Men," pressed Aragorn, and once more nobody could argue. The same determination was there in Aragorn's eyes as had been in Gandalf's, and Boromir stood down.

"The path through Caradhras it is then," announced Gandalf. "Pack your things, we cannot waste more time in these lands."

"But it is night-time still!" Pippin pouted though as nobody answered him, he reluctantly walked over to his things and packed what he carried.

Hastily, the company moved on, Legolas keeping a look out to the sky while Gandalf and Aragorn speedily led the company onwards.

 **Nàin**

Their travel back to Erebor had gone quicker than the travel to Rivendell. Nàin barely wanted to stop during their journey, pushing her fellow Dwarves to take as few rests as possible. She wanted to return to her husband and her children; her family as soon as possible. She missed them dearly, and with Thor gone she needed them with her.

When they had left the boats that took them across the Long Lake, Nàin felt a rush of relief. They were finally back on Dwarven lands again, and the Lonely Mountain could once more be seen off in the distance. They moved on for a little while longer before preparing a campfire at dusk. The Dwarves all laughed and smile, though Nàin stayed silent. To their left was a small circle of forest, and to their left was a large boulder. They were hidden and safe, yet Nàin could feel eyes on her.

She never mentioned it to the other Dwarves, which was her first mistake. She had figured it was simply her nerves playing tricks on her, but it had not been.

Her second mistake had been to place her sword over by her packings, which was a little away from the campfire where she and the other Dwarves were sat.

Unknown to her, her third mistake had been to give off her dagger to her son.

The first thing either of them noticed was the sound of birds disappearing. Gloin had been the one to head notice of this, and all Dwarves quieted down once he had told them this. The second thing they noticed was the sound of feet hitting the ground. Though once they noticed this, it was already too late.

Orcs attacked them. A whole group of them. The white hand painted on their bodies in various places seemed to scream at Nàin as they charged, and before she knew it a fight had broken loose. She reached for her sword, though found it not to be at her side but over by her backpack. Though when she stood up to run towards it, a pair of hands grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Three Orcs had singled her out, and the other Dwarves noticed immediately, trying their best to come to the rescue of their queen.

Her hand automatically reached for her dagger, though it was off in the south with her son. Instead, all she could do was crawl away from them in a panicked state of mind while the three hideous Orcs neared her. They grabbed her tightly and Nàin only managed to get a few good punches in before the Orcs realized they had to seize her hands in a tight grip. One Orc looked her over, his filthy fingers grabbing at her necklaces and the small leather bracelet made by Maybeline a _very_ long time ago.

Little did she know that wearing that bracelet had been her fourth mistake.

"This one's the queen. Take her," the Orc commanded before the two others began to indeed walk away with her. She struggled as much as she could, trying to kick them and trying to get free of their grip, though all they did was continue walking. They were much taller than her and when they lifted her up off the ground, it was easy for them to simply carry her away.

"Nàin!" exclaimed Gloin from behind her, though it was already too late.

She managed one glance back at her fellow Dwarves, seeing them either dead on the ground or lying hurt and groaning in pain. The Orc leading the group yelled out something in a foul language, and the Orcs left the hurt Dwarves alone to follow the leader away from the campfire. Gloin tried to get up to follow, but one of the Orcs had cut his leg open when he had yelled for his queen, and he could not do follow once the Orcs had set off in a sprint.

A tear fell down Nàin's cheek as the sight of Erebor was now behind her. And anger filled her towards the Orcs who were taking her. She kicked out once at the ribs of one of the Orcs holding her, and he let out a roar of pain. In a furious attempt to make her stop, the Orc lifted his hand up -

And before she could even register the pain of the punch against her head, she had fallen unconscious.


	30. Chapter 30, As Alive As Possible

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 30  
As Alive As Possible  
**

* * *

 **Thor**

Moving past the path that would have lead them straight to the mines of Moria, the fellowship began the steep climb up the mountain. There was a straight path leading up and around the mountain, luckily, but Aragorn's previous warnings that there may be bad weather up ahead seemed to have been premonitions as further up the mountain, a dark cloud hung.

Luckily, the fellowship had not reached that dark cloud yet, and seeing as they had been walking nonstop since they had encountered the crebain, they would not come much further than the first few meters up the mountain before the tiredness of the fellowship seemed to get to Gandalf as well. He had turned around, his eyes glancing over each member before he had announced that they were going to take a break. Pippin had immediately flopped down to the ground, closing his eyes as though his body had simply been waiting for an excuse to take an immediate nap. Merry and Frodo joined him on the ground while Sam stayed on his feet next to Billy the pony.

Legolas was still energetic and walked past everyone to scout ahead. Thor joined Sam in caring for Billy, while Gimli stayed with Aragorn and Gandalf to converse. There seemed to be something bothering the wizard and Aragorn, and Thor noticed immediately that Legolas had sensed something too when he returned from his scouting later that evening.

A fire was stoked and the fellowship ate in silence that evening. Their eyes kept going up towards the ever darkening sky, as though they were trying to catch a glimpse of more crebain. It was obvious that nobody felt completely safe yet.

It had been Gimli who had tried to lighten the mood by talking about Khazad-dûm, and Thor could not help but realize the Dwarf had really been looking forward seeing Balin and the others again. He realized that he himself too had been looking forward to that, but his heart did not seem to be as hopeful as Gimli's had been.

The Hobbits listened intently to Gimli's tales of the Dwarven society, while Aragorn smoked his pipe and from time to time glanced over at Gimli when the Dwarf exaggerated something to the point that it was almost not true. Around the time the moon had shown itself once more, Thor began to feel… different.

He recognized the tingly feeling inside of him from that one night in the tavern, when he had seen a vision right in the middle of the festivities. However, this time the vision seemed to not come. It felt different, as though he was not about to see something, but was instead feeling something that was happening right now. The tingles felt far-off, and could mostly be felt around his head. A strange drowsiness overcame him suddenly, and Thor stood up. The fellowship glanced at him with wondering eyes, especially Boromir as he had been talking to Thor.

"I gotta go to bed," said Thor in a rushed voice.

Whether any of the members knew of Thor's secret, he was unsure of, and he was also unsure of whether his secret would cause people to look at him differently. Either way, he felt like he wanted to keep it to himself. It was not something normal in the Dwarven society, and so he had gotten used to not talking about it to anyone but his closest family – even Thorin was still skeptical about his visions.

The moment he lay down, his eyes closed and he felt his body disappear. At least, it felt as though it did. He let the vision take him over, seeing as there was not much he could do but that, and awaited its darkness. All the visions had ever shown him was fire, doom and death – the eye had been part of it as well. Only now did he understand why the eye had been there; only now did he understand that his future was woven together with those heading out to fight Sauron.

He turned into an onlooker, an invisible onlooker who had no control over where he was walking. And much to his surprise, what he was seeing was not something about fire and doom –

Instead it was his mother as she was –

 **Nàin**

\- placed down onto the rocky ground with a thud by two large, disgusting hands. The Orcs had stopped for the night, and Nàin was finally coming back to consciousness after the hard blow against her head. She herself was unsure of how many days had passed. All she knew was that she had been carried by Orcs for so long that she herself smelled like an Orc.

Groaning, Nàin lifted her head up to look at her surroundings. The Orcs were feasting on some poor deer not too far away from her, and the stench of flesh and blood reached her nostrils, making her want to vomit. As she tried to move her hands, the clanging of metal rings reached her ears, the sound making her cringe slightly as it made her head hurt, and she soon realized her hands and feet had been tied up with metal cuffs. Her wrists were already pink and sore. However it was not the pain that made her suddenly sober up, her heart speeding up. It was the fact that her leather bracelet made by Maybeline, the one that had survived now for over sixty years, was _gone_. She looked around herself, hoping it had only recently fallen off… though she had no such luck.

A tear singed her eye though she stayed strong.

While she had been looking around herself, she had caught sight of something peculiar a little further to her right. More Orcs – which in turn was not something peculiar. Instead, it was the way those Orcs were treated by the currently feasting Orcs. Their hands and feet had also been chained up, and while the other Orcs were feasting and having a blast, those chained up Orcs looked completely miserable, glaring at the other Orcs in jealousy. There was no real difference between the Orcs (in a Dwarf's eye, every Orc is as disgusting and ugly as the other) apart from one thing. A white hand was painted on each and every Orc that was feasting, while the chained-up Orcs had no symbols on them.

It was the same thing that they had realized years earlier, when Orcs had suddenly settled down in the forest north of them; when Orcs had suddenly _talked_ to Nàin. It had been so long ago that Nàin had almost forgotten about it. Yet, here she was, captured by Orcs wearing the symbol of a white hand, whom seemed to be taking Orcs not wearing the white hand somewhere.

And now, Nàin was being taken there as well.

What the point was of taking Nàin, she was unsure of, but she was there. Stuck. Weaponless. Chained up and hurt. There was not much more she could do.

Suddenly, one of the Orcs feasting turned his head towards Nàin. Upon seeing her fully awake, it smirked and walked over to her. His mouth was still bloody and as he leaned down so his face was levelled with hers, a few drops of dark blood dripped down onto her knee. She cringed and turned her head away as far as she could, while the Orc simply pulled her closer by her chains.

"This one smells fresh…"

"Hands off. The Master wants this one as alive as possible."

 _As alive as possible…_

A second Orc walked up to them and shoved the other Orc away from Nàin. It looked down at her before grabbing her arm and beginning to drag her off. His grip was tight and he moved so fast she had no real time to stand up onto her feet and walk on her own. Instead her knees were dragged over the rocky ground until the Orc reached the other prisoners, throwing her on the ground in front of them. The imprisoned Orcs glanced down at her curiously before the other Orc added a chain to her handcuffs, successfully chaining her together with the other Orcs so they formed one, large chain.

She moved to sit upright, but the other Orcs suddenly grasped her throat, glaring down at her with a menacing pair of eyes, "Don't try anything, skinny-legs, or I'll make sure your head returns to the Master, but the rest stays rotting somewhere else."

He let go of her after this and walked back to the others, returning to the feasting. She stayed on the ground. Behind her there were Orcs to which she was now chained up with, and in front of her there were Orcs. She was _surrounded_ by Orcs, and there was no way out.

She couldn't help but let the tears roll down her cheek silently now…

 **Thor**

A hand grasped his arm and he awoke with a start. The image of his mother chained up with Orcs disappeared in an instance, and was replaced by the image of Aragorn staring down at him. It was still night, and not a lot of time could have passed since he went to rest.

"You were dreaming."

Thor glanced around, seeing the other members' sleeping forms all around him. Aragorn must have been on watch-duty.

"I-I was…"

He shivered. His visions had never really come true, but that was just because his visions were usually about the future. Now, however, things were different… this seemed to have been different, as though he was just looking at something that was happening right now, but somewhere else in Middle-earth. He tried to see if he recognized the place Nàin had been in, but could not remember seeing any landmarks that he realized. She could have been taken from Rivendell for all he knew.

Aragorn sighed at Thor's quiet response, "There are always rumors going about when it comes to royal families. Dwarves may not be as well known in the world as other royal families, but as a traveler, you hear a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I've heard stories. And your mother told me you were special, which adds up to the stories I've heard. So, was it a dream, or something else?"

Thor stared up at Aragorn, wondering what stories there were out there in Middle-earth about him…

In the Ranger's eyes, Thor could see the curiosity, but also the kindness. It was the one thing that made Thor open up, "I think my mother is in danger…" Thor continued to recall everything he saw, placing extra energy on remembering the symbols on the Orcs' helmets and armor; the white hand.

Aragorn's curiosity turned into seriousness, "You saw it?"

"If I say yes, would you believe it?"

A soft smirk appeared on Aragorn's lips before he softly nodded his head, "It's uncommon, but not impossible for a Dwarf to have a gift like such. I believe you."

"But we can't do anything, right?"

Aragorn let out another sigh, "No. If your mother is in danger… I'm afraid we can only hope that those she travelled with will send word to someone who _can_ do something."

The both of them turned their heads to the left when Boromir stirred in his sleep.

"If you can," whispered Aragorn, turning his gaze back to Thor, "get some sleep. And… I'm sorry."


	31. Chapter 31, Bad News

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 31  
Bad News**

* * *

 **Nàin**

During the following three days, Nàin slipped in and out of consciousness. The Orcs barely stopped to rest, and when they did, it was only to eat or to pee. They seemed to never sleep or rest. The constant movement took a huge toll on her, and after the first 24 hours, she began to slip in and out of consciousness. Sometimes she would wake up from an excruciating pain in her wrists, and she would find herself being dragged along by the other Orcs she was chained up to, the chains around her wrist dragging her forwards.

The third day, things changed. She woke up once more being dragged along. Her world spun around her and the other Orcs watched her with glares. Though they had stopped running. One of the leading Orcs, with the white hand on his armour, walked over to her as she struggled to stand back up. It said something to the others, making some chuckle. She looked down at herself, seeing her muddy and bloody clothes, realizing how far she had sunk from being a royal.

Suddenly, another Orc walked forwards and placed a slap against the other Orc's head. He was scolded, making him move away, his head bowed. The leading Orc smirked down at Nàin, his smirk showing Nàin that he was missing three teeth. A gaping scar existed on his forehead and as he leaned down to get a better look at Nàin, his smell nearly made Nàin gag.

"Dwarves need water, right?"

Nàin glared up at the Orc, her silence apparently amusing the Orc as it let out a loud laugh. He turned to the others, saying something that amused them too as they mirrored the Orc's laugh. Slowly, and with a menacing look on his face, he took out a whip from his belt. Nàin stiffened at the sight of it, seeing the clots of skin and blood from other creatures he had whipped still sitting there on the rope.

"You are slowing us down."

"Then kill me." Her own words scared her, which the Orc saw as he let out another laugh. She wasn't being very menacing or threatening. She was too tired for that. Besides, she had not had to go through this for over 60 years. Life as a royal; a queen, had softened her.

"The dark lord wants you alive. Unfortunately."

Nàin stared up at the Orc after his words. What had that meant? Where were they taking her and the other Orcs?

"I'll carry her."

Nàin glanced to her right, starring at the Orc chained to her standing there. To say that she was confused over his words, his offer, was an understatement. He, or it, was an _Orc._ Since when did they even show chivalry?

"Do you need another reminder to keep your mouth shut? Silence!" The whip made a cutting sound before it slapped against the Orc's flesh, cutting his cheek and lip open. Black blood slipped down his face, though his glare towards the Orc with the whip did not show pain nor remorse.

Nàin did not miss how the other Orcs stiffened up as the whip touched the now bloody Orc.

Her world begun to spin even more and her knees suddenly gave in. Her weakness seemed to annoy the Orc with the whip, who immediately began to beat the whip against Nàin's back. Over and over again it cut against her skin until she managed to gather enough strength to stand back up.

"MOVE!"

The Orc with the whip left to lead them all again and Nàin was forced to begin walking again. The smell of iron coming off of the chains around her wrists and ankles, from her wounds on her back, and the strange stench of Orcs mixed together made her gag once. Her eyes teared up with what little moisture she had left in her body.

The Orc who had showed chivalry was walking in front of her. Technically it would not be impossible for Nàin to jump up onto his back, even with the chains around her wrists and ankles as they were long enough for it.

Someone behind her said something in a strange speech; Black Speech, and before she knew it, the Orc before her crouched down. She had no time to react, not that she could have reacted due to her weakness, and her feet hit the back of his, causing her to stumble and fall forwards straight onto his back. He immediately grabbed her hands, forcing her further up his back to the point where he was holding onto her arms so she would not slip off. He stood up and began to walk again, the Orcs in front of them with the white hand on their armour not even noticing what had just happened.

Or at least they did not care.

"Why…" she whispered before her eyes involuntarily closed, unconsciousness hitting her.

 **Aiwin**

"Open the gates!"

Aiwin smiled, turning away from the balcony as she heard the call from down below. Thror was lying on his bed, reading a book.

"They're back!" Thror glanced at his twin-sister, not equally as excited as her.

"Great… More tales from Thor about what he can do and we can't…"

"Shut up you." Aiwin rolled her eyes at her brother's sulk. "Mother is returned. And so is our brother. We should be happy about that."

"Yeah."

Aiwin grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the room the moment he had stood up. Together they ran down the stairs all the way down to the main hall. Fili was stood there already with Thorin and Dis. Dis stood a little back with Mori and Mili, the two little girls nearly jumping up and down out of joy from getting to see their mother again (and their favourite sibling even though they would never dare to say that out loud). Kili was there too, of course, and he seemed rather excited about seeing his best friend again.

A couple of other Dwarves had come to see the return, though it was not nearly as big of an event as the goodbye had been.

Dwalin, Bofur and Bombur stood close by, and their smiles faltered before anyone else's did.

Gloin walked up to Fili, two of his men – the only two men who had returned back to Erebor – staying put a little away, their heads bent.

"What is this? Where is everyone?" asked Fili. Thorin immediately took a few steps forwards as support for Fili.

"Thor is out on a quest. A very secretive quest. He is not alone. He has companions; Gandalf, four Hobbits, two Men and one Elf. Gimli, my son, joined as well."

"And my wife?" asked Fili quietly.

"Our camp was raided three nights ago," began Gloin, letting out a sigh.

Kili tensed up, walking forwards to stand next to Fili as well. Thror suddenly gripped Aiwin's hand a little tighter… This was not supposed to happen.

"Orcs. They killed some of us and then they took Nàin. We tried to track them but failed. We don't know where they took her…"

Aiwin watched Fili turn around and walk away towards the throne room. Kili and Thorin quickly followed, monotone expressions on their faces. Gloin remained stood where he was, pressing his eyelids togethers in an attempt to shut out the failure of bringing back the queen – to shut out the looks from everyone else there, from Nàin's daughters and son.

Dis quickly gathered Mori and Mili and left, the two children looked rather distraught, though also confused. Aiwin and Thror, however, stayed put.

"Mother…" whispered Aiwin in despair.

 **Kili**

"Fili wait up."

"Let go of me."

"Fili, please."

In an instant, Fili had turned around to glare at his brother. He raised his arm only slightly, showing off where Kili was holding onto him as though guards would rush in and remove Kili from the king. Luckily Kili was the captain of the guards. Otherwise that scenario might have happened.

Slowly Kili did let go, sighing as Fili immediately turned his back on him again to continue walking down the room towards the thrones. He sat down on his spot, one hand resting on the armrest of Nàin's throne.

"Three days ago… They can still be on our land. Send out troops. I want her found."

Kili nodded his head, "I will. We'll find her."

"You better."

That dark look…

"Fili, remember what Nàin said? Dark forces want to break this kingdom apart. Don't let those dark forces take over and win. That is what they want to happen. It would not surprise me if that is why they took Nàin in the first place. To get to _you_."

Thorin let out a soft sigh from where he was stood, and Kili grew confused.

"That is only worse…" whispered Fili, sinking further down in his throne.

Kili bit his lip at the sight of hurt in his brother's eyes. However, there was not much to do to soothe his brother's pain… apart from finding Nàin.

"I promise I'll find her."

Fili did not react. Thorin glanced at Kili once before he turned and walked away. Kili followed suit, knowing his brother needed some time to let this news sink in. The moment he had left the throne hall and given the orders to disperse scout teams, reality of the news hit him. He had to force himself to get up all the stairs towards his room, upon where he had to lean against the wall for a minute as the wave of sadness hit him.

Down below, the wave hit Fili too who grasped onto the fur in Nàin's throne as he let out a loud scream of agony.

 **Nàin**

Her back hit the ground and she awoke. It was dark already, the moon looking down at her from its position up in the sky. Chains danced and dangled, and Nàin saw, to her surprise, that the Orcs she was chained up with were sitting themselves down. One of the Orcs with the white hand walked past them all, throwing chunks of raw meat at each imprisoned Orc. Nàin got hers in her lap and she stared at it.

The sound of a river reached her ears, and she glanced over at it. She craved just a small sip of it, nothing less and nothing more… Three days without water, maybe even longer. It almost felt as though her brain was drying up, slowly dying.

Suddenly, as though her wish had been heard by someone, a pouch was thrown at her. A liquid squelched inside of it and she glanced up at the Orc who had given it to her.

"Drink," it said before walking away to join his group.

Nàin's hands nearly shook as she removed the cork and lifted the pouch to her dry lips. The liquid tasted nasty, but it was water. At some point the pouch had been filled with something else which contaminated the water in there now, but it was water.

"Ration it."

Nàin was so startled by the voice she spilled some water down herself. She glanced over at the Orc to her right, the one who by now had two ugly wounds on his face; one on his cheek and one on his lip. It glanced at her while it chewed on the raw meat, his yellow eyes seeming menacing even though his words were not.

It was all the Orc said before he returned to his own thoughts.

What were these Orcs? Why were they imprisoned? Had it something to do with their sudden interest in helping Nàin?


	32. Chapter 32, Upcoming Decisions

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 32  
Upcoming Decisions**

* * *

 **Thor**

At some point during that week, Thor had heard Gandalf say snow might be coming to Caradhras. To use the word 'snow' had been an understatement. A 'snow storm' would have been the more correct term.

It had come upon them slowly, and not without either of the members noticing it. The dark clouds that had once stayed hanging at the top had moved downwards the moment the fellowship had begun their journey upwards, as if on command. The snowflakes had started falling on the third day of their journey, during the darkness of the night. Boromir had been the first to notice it, one of the snowflakes dancing down to rest on his large nose. During the following day, Gimli's long beard and Thor's shorter beard had been painted white by the snowflakes.

Though the snowflakes were not a problem. It were the heaps of them on the ground, covering the mountain side and their path with more and more snow with each passing day, that was the problem. And on the seventh day, Thor feared the snow storm up above them might not go away anytime soon. Nor never.

During midday of that seventh day, the weather took a break. The cold was still there and so was the snow on the ground, but at least they had a clear view of the path ahead of them. Yet, Thor felt unmotivated to go on. He wanted to take a break now that the weather had taken a break. Gandalf seemed to read his mind, turning around and announcing that they should take a lunch-break. This was an unusual thing as of late, seeing as they knew they were being haunted by dark, vile things out there in the world. So, a lunch break was something they tended to skip just to cover more ground during the days. And when they did have a lunch break, the snow would cause them to sit huddled silently, simply waiting to continue so they could get warm again.

Thor was sure this would be the one part of their journey he would look back at with disgust.

Gimli made a fire, with effort, and the Hobbits quickly began to cook some food. Thor on the other hand took out some rations from his pack and ate them as they were.

"Not the most heroic journey so far," commented Boromir as he sat down next to Thor.

The snow beneath them began to melt uncomfortably, though they were both simply happy to be sitting down finally.

"Maybe not," shrugged Thor. "But heroic tales all have their… less heroic sides."

Sam glanced back at them and Thor suddenly felt a little guilty about his words, "Besides, it's not about being heroic," he quickly added, "it's about helping Frodo."

Boromir huffed in reply, earning yet another glance from Sam though with a little less kindness this time. The man ignored the look from the Hobbit, instead blowing some warm air into his cupped hands.

The wind suddenly changed its pace, beginning to blow harsher, colder winds at them again.

"Great…" mumbled Boromir. "If we had gone with my plan, this would not have happened."

Thor watched him stand back up, beginning to pace back and forth to remain warm. The young Dwarf looked around, seeing the Hobbits huddled together in their own little group; seeing Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli talking and seeing Gandalf staring out at the view on his own. Their journey had already begun to take a toll on them all. What had once been a unified group where everyone could talk amongst each other had turned into a split, unhappy group. And all this just because of some snow…

Thor looked back at Boromir, realizing he and him were a group of their own amongst the fellowship. A part of him felt slightly panicked that he would be associated with Boromir, though he could not deny that Boromir and he simply enjoyed each other's company. The man might have some strange ideas about things, and there sometimes was a hauntingly familiar look in his eyes whenever Frodo was nearby, or whenever the subject of the Ring was brought up, but he was a nice man through and through.

That familiar look was one Thor had seen in his father's eyes once… and in Thorin's eyes… A look he dreaded might enter his own eyes one day if he took the crown. Possessiveness, greed, want… Thorin and Fili's look might have been caused by Dragon Sickness, but something might have been using the Dragon Sickness to gain something… and that something might be affecting Boromir now.

"Kid." A hand was placed on Thor's shoulder and he jumped, looking up into the eyes of Boromir, "We're moving again."

Snow was falling once more, adding to the already heavy blanket of snow on the ground.

"I feared this might happen," announced Gandalf as the fellowship was packing their stuff. "What say you now, Aragorn?"

"That I feared this too. I thought we might encounter snow, but not this far down the mountain."

Thor glanced over towards the edge, seeing they were not really that far down anymore. Then again, when Thor looked up, they weren't even halfway up the mountain yet.

"Usually snow falls during the winter, but the paths are usually clear," finished Aragon.

"This is probably the enemy," added Boromir. "They say that he can control weather in the lands of Shadow, in Mordor."

"But for him to control this weather… then his arm has grown long." Gimli's voice sounded troubled, and indeed those words were troubling news.

"We must push forwards," added Thor. "This is the safest path, right?"

"It is." Aragorn nodded his head, glancing over at Gandalf who also nodded his head.

"Let's go."

 **Nàin**

After following the Orc's hints of rationing her water, Nàin's strengths seemed to slowly come back. She would not have the strength to lift a sword, but she did have the strength to walk on her own by the end of that week. She and the other Orcs remained quiet to each other. The yellow-eyed Orc in front of her would offer to carry her silently, simply crouching down in front of her without saying a word or even looking at her, and when he wanted her off of him, he would simply shake her off. After a week, Nàin almost felt comfortable around those Orcs… something she would never confess to Fili or Kili… especially not to Dis.

They had crossed the river Celduin via a small bridge three days ago and she knew they were moving south. She dreaded where south they were headed though…

The Orcs with the white hand on their armour stopped that evening on the seventh day. The imprisoned Orcs were left to stand on their own while they regrouped on their own a little away. She noticed them sniffing the air, talking quietly amongst each other in their own foul language. Her being quite comfortable around the Orcs caused her to let her guard down out of curiosity. Not until afterwards did she realize she had just had a discussion with an **Orc**.

"What are they saying?"

"Your people are after us."

Nàin had felt relieved after hearing this, which the Orc must have picked up on.

"Don't look so smug. They're deciding to move faster. So less breaks."

"Damnit…" breathed Nàin, glancing backwards once before beginning to scan herself.

"What are you doing?"

"I gotta find something to leave behind. So they know I'm alive and need help."

The Orc kept watching her as she tried to find a bracelet or a necklace she was still wearing. However, the Orcs with the white hand had either grabbed everything or she had lost it, just like she had lost Maybeline's bracelet.

"Like this?" asked the yellow-eyed Orc.

Nàin froze on the spot, staring at the leathery bracelet he held in his hands.

"I grabbed it when it fell off your, uh, hand. You wanna let it fall to the ground? You wanna leave it behind and maybe be found by some Dwarves? Sure. I'll let it go. Or you can…" the Orc glanced back at his fellow imprisoned Orcs. "Or you can keep it and get out on your own."

"How?" asked Nàin quietly, still staring at the bracelet. She thought she had lost it forever. Yet there it was in the hands of a filthy Orc.

"With us."

Nàin glanced back at the other Orcs behind her. She noticed them all staring intently at her and she realized this might have been their plan all along. Be nice to her so she would start to trust them, or sympathize with them somehow so she could help them get out of this predicament. Little did they know that she never trusted them, but simply felt comfortable around them. She had grown used to their stench and strange habits… but she knew they were still Orcs. No matter what.

"No."

Anger flashed past his yellow eyes, "They're taking us to Barad-dûr. To become slaves. Workers."

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?" she spat.

"QUIET!"

The nastier Orcs walked over to them, looking annoyed. "We're moving out. Now."

Whips were used on them and soon everyone was moving again. Once the white-hand Orcs had gotten back to walking behind and in front of the prisoners, Nàin sped up slightly to whisper in the Orc's ear, "Give it back to me."

"No." The Orc grinned at her. "Little Dwarf-queen will have to help us if she wants it back."

Too weak to do anything about it, Nàin sighed and moved back into line, "Damn you."

The Orc just smiled.


	33. Chapter 33, Choices

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 33  
Choices  
**

* * *

 **Kili**

Dwalin and Kildin were standing in front of his brother's throne. Kili was watching from the side with Thorin standing next to him. He had already heard the reports as Captain of Erebor, but had been hesitant to tell his brother, as unprofessional as that was. Finally, Dwalin and Kildin had taken it upon themselves to tell Fili. After more than a week, the Dwarven scouts had barely found any trails of the Orcs. Those trails they had found had gone down to the river Celduin, though those had disappeared a little further down south, as though the Orcs had suddenly realized they were after them.

Fili sunk down in his throne, placing a hand against his forehead. Dwalin looked completely and utterly in pain, hating to displease his king and fail Nàin. Kildin remained neutral, something Kili needed to commend him on later.

"Thank you," sighed Fili quietly. Eerily quietly. "You can leave."

"Sire," began Dwalin, taking a step forwards. "I would like to personally lead a group of our strongest Dwarves to find our Queen. We'll go further down south. We'll search for her until we've scoured every inch of Middle-earth-"

"Thank you, Dwalin. I will take it under consideration… Now, _please_ , leave me…"

After a beat, Dwalin bowed down and left, Kildin doing the same. Thorin, Kili and Fili were left alone apart from a couple of guards standing by the door of the throne room.

Fili sunk down even further into his throne.

"I'm sure most of the old company will join Dwalin," began Thorin. "It's worth considering-"

"What of the eminent darkness that is spreading and coming this way? A war is coming. I need to remain a King…"

"Erebor can spare four or five warriors," assured Kili.

Thorin sighed, "I told you once that when you become a king, you will understand how family should never come before the burdens of the crown… this is what you are thinking of now."

Fili remained silent.

"Nàin's a queen. _The_ Queen. What is wrong with trying to find her?"

"What is wrong is that there is a war coming. Everyone can sense it. The signs are there. Thor is out on a quest to stop this very war, but the enemy is still out there now. This is on Fili's mind," deduced Thorin.

Fili glanced at his brother and uncle, slowly nodding his head. "I-I cannot abandon her…"

Kili's heart twisted and he wanted to crawl away from the pain and agony he saw in his brother's eyes.

"Then don't." Thorin looked determined not to see his nephew in so much pain.

"But you said-"

"You are king now. Make your own rules."

"I'll think about it…" breathed Fili, standing up slowly. "Leave me please…"

Kili glanced at Thorin before nodding his head. He wanted to stay and support his brother. Yet perhaps the most support he could give was allow Fili to slip into the role of King and forget the pain Fili was in, and the best way to let him do that was to follow his orders no matter what.

Before Kili left the throne room, he glanced back at his brother, his king, and saw him sit back down. However, he had sat down in Nàin's throne, his hands covering his face…

 **Thor**

"Snow… little white flecks of ice everywhere… **everywhere**!" cried Gimli.

Though only a few heard him. The storm had become heavier. Too heavy. Winds howled past their ears, bringing with it the snow that was falling and making the beautiful, soft flakes feel like blades slicing against their skin. The company was tired, though those whose heads reached only up to four feet above the ground were the ones that were the most tired. The snow had by now begun reaching their chests, and each step they had to take was agony. At last, Aragorn and Boromir had to carry the Hobbits, who were not as strong as the Dwarves.

Thor envied them for not having to walk. At least until he saw their blue lips and shivering bodies. Them not walking meant they had no way of keeping warm either.

"This is insane!" called Boromir. "There are fell voices in the winds! Can't you hear them, Wizard!? We need to turn around!"

"And go where!?" called Aragorn back.

Thor and Gimli were at the back, watching the discussion. The company had stopped, only Legolas being able to move on normally as his weight apparently did not make his feet go through the snow. Instead the Elf could walk on top of the snow, not even leaving a footprint. Each time Thor saw Legolas, he thought the guy was hovering, flying over the path.

It was not fair.

"Take the pass to Gondor! The safest route!"

Thor saw Aragorn snarl at Boromir's request, though the man did not speak up. However, Aragorn did seem to agree that this way towards Mordor was not the correct one. He looked towards Gandalf, whose robes were no longer grey because of the snowflakes sticking to the fabric.

When Gandalf did not say anything, Boromir gave it another try, glancing at Pippin and Merry whom he was carrying, "This will be the death of the Halflings, Gandalf! We have to take another route!"

Thor glanced back, seeing that their footsteps had already been buried in new snow again, and that with each minute they stood still, they were getting more and more buried in the cold substance as well.

"The voice, who is it?" asked Legolas.

"That does not matter," said Gandalf loudly. "We have to move on!"

As if on cue with his decision, the voice suddenly became louder. Thor watched with large eyes as a flash of lightning appeared, out of nowhere, and hit the side of the mountain right above them. Almost immediately, rocks began plummeting down towards them. The entire company jumped to safety, pressing themselves against the side of the mountain. The large pieces of rock tumbled down past them towards lower parts of the mountain. Snow fell down on them from above, half-drowning them all. Once they resurfaced and regained a spot in the snow, Gandalf glanced back at Frodo.

"The ring-bearer will decide…" said Gandalf, only just loud enough for them all to hear.

Boromir glanced at Frodo in joy, seeming to be expecting Frodo to choose the path to Gondor, or past Gondor even though everyone knew Boromir meant they would take a break at his home.

However, Frodo looked past Boromir and glanced at Gimli and Thor. His blue eyes remained on Thor for a long while, his hand clutched the ring around his neck…

"We will take the path through Moria."

Thor and Gimli smiled widely knowing they were going to meet Balin and the others once again. Thor had not seen them since he was just a child, and there was a lot to discuss. For instance, why they had gone quiet and stopped sending supplies.

However, not everyone shared their joy. Thor saw Aragorn and Gandalf nearly paling, while Legolas looked rather unprepared for that answer. Boromir on the other hand simply looked pissed, avoiding looking at Frodo in anger.

"So it will be…"

Why Gandalf feared that path and made them climb the mountain and push through the snow to begin with was something Thor would soon get to find out…


	34. Chapter 34, Mines of Moria Part 1

**Warning: I didn't read this through properly before uploading! I was lazy... sorry for any strange grammatical mistakes, or any other weird mistakes.**

 **Also, thanks to Starimus Prime for reviewing :)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 34  
Mines of Moria Part 1**

* * *

 **Thor**

Three days later, and the Company was back where they had started off their climb upwards. None of them missed the snow much, especially the Halflings.

"Give me a snowstorm in the midst of winter, yes please, but only if I can stay inside in bed and drink hot tea. No more walking in snow for this Hobbit, no thank you!" had Sam cried the moment the snow had seized falling.

They took a turn to the right, following the Misty Mountains for a while. Thor caught Boromir glancing back a few times, and he knew that Boromir was looking at the path they were walking away from, the one that would lead them past Gondor.

The next two days were not spent in silence as the company had spent their days on Caradhras. Instead, they were spent listening to Gimli's tales of Khazad-dûm, and the ways of Dwarven Mines. The moment they had left that mountain, things had simply become better again. The company became a company once more, and people smiled and laughed again. The evenings were spent together, and not in groups and all was good. However, their time on the mountain had left a trail behind and the smaller groups were always the ones to lay down to sleep next to each other. The Hobbits slept side by side; Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli slept side by side; Thor and Boromir slept side by side; and Gandalf slept on his own. Thor figured that as long as it stayed like that, the company would hold together.

On the fourth day, when the mines were close-by enough for Gimli to be saying they would soon be met by his Dwarven kin and eat at a nice Dwarvish feast, Thor noticed Frodo walking on his own. There was a question bugging him and he quickened his pace to fall in line with the Hobbit.

"Why this path?"

Frodo glanced at him, surprised by the question.

"I mean, you could have chosen the one Boromir had chosen. Yet… You didn't."

"It was the one path that did not seem to send us into the hands of the enemy. If birds are his eyes here… Staying underground will keep us safer. I hope."

Thor glanced back at Boromir, making sure he was out of ear-shot, "You think the Ring would have fallen into the hands of the enemy if we had stopped in Gondor?"

Frodo remained quiet, which was enough of an answer for Thor.

"Besides, I have always wondered what Dwarven culture looks like. Bilbo has told many tales, of your kingdom and your quest, but I have yet to see it with my own eyes. I have seen the wonders of Elves, now I want to see the wonders of Dwarves."

Thor smiled at that, feeling oddly proud to hear that. The rest of the day, Thor and Frodo remained walking side-by-side, listening to Gimli's tales about Dwarves – of which he had many.

"Here it is…" announced Gandalf that evening.

Thor was a little… disappointed. Erebor had large gates whom were always open for trading. This was just a mountain side, nothing more. There was a lake to their right, but the mountain side was the thing Gandalf was looking at.

"This is strange…" said Merry.

"This is foolish. We can not move through rock. We should have taken the path to the Gap of Gondor!"

Thor resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Boromir's intent on still bringing that up. Gandalf seemed equally as annoyed, turning his head to the side to glare at the man, "To go to the Gap of Gondor one must pass dangerously close to Isengard. I would never bring the Ring that close to Isengard."

"Why? What's there?" asked Thor naively.

"Saruman," replied Gandalf. "And recently his allegiances have drastically changed."

That was all Gandalf said on the subject. He gave one last glare at Boromir before he turned towards the mountainside.

"Move through rock… foolish men…" muttered Gandalf as he walked towards the mountainside.

Thor watched for a while until the moon suddenly showed its light, shining it down on Gandalf and the mountainside. He facepalmed himself mentally for not thinking of the obvious reason there was no large date there the moment he saw the moonlight reveal the secret Dwarven door.

"Of course…" muttered Gimli.

"This place… it reminds me of darker lands… So empty. Yet I feel watched." As he spoke, Boromir walked over to a pile of rocks, gently kicking them before glancing back at the rest of the fellowship.

"Have care how you speak! These are the walls of our kin!" snapped Gimli.

"You assume dark places are all alike the lands of shadow. I have been in the darkest dungeons of Barad-dûr. Those who enter there never return. I alone was the exception of course. The Mines of Moria are not like that. We will enter and we will exit. No exceptions." For some reason, Thor did not believe Gandalf. There was something in Gandalf's eyes that told Thor not even the wizard himself believed what he was saying. Everyone's talk of Moria being a dark place… What had Thor missed? What had Gimli missed or Thor's father? Something was up. And although Thor did not want to admit it, Boromir had been right. The place felt empty, lonely, and yet Thor _did_ feel watched.

He just hoped he was being watched by Dwarven guards, and not something… else…

 **Nàin**

Days spent jogging, walking and then jogging again. Days spent rationing what little water she got. Days spent trying not to throw up after eating raw meat from some creature the Orcs managed to hunt down.

Days spent losing hope her fellow kin were going to find her.

She was no queen anymore. Maybe a part of her was still a mother, but it rarely showed anymore. She felt empty and so alone. Tired was the norm now, and she could not feel the feeling anymore. Being rested, waking up in the morning with a blanket wrapped around her, were all just memories that seemed to fade with each passing day. The exhaustion had almost made her forget who she was…

Until one day.

The Orcs stopped in the middle of a field. Nàin glanced over the yellow-eyed Orc's shoulder to see what was happening and, to her surprise, she saw the white-hand Orcs discussing something with another group of Orcs. These new Orcs wore no white hand on their armour, but instead they looked filthier than the others – nastier. Their armour was black and although they looked less buff as the white-hand-Orcs, they were still scary. Much to Nàin's surprise, she saw the white-hand Orcs give the key to their chains to the new Orc group. A smug grin took over the leader as he gently placed it around his neck. Before Nàin knew it, the white-hand Orcs turned and begun running back again, leaving their prisoners with their new owners.

The leader, a nasty looking one with yet another whip attached to his belt, walked over to his new prisoners. He calmly walked past them all, inspecting each and every one of them. He did not look surprised to see a Dwarf amongst the prisoners. Instead, he smirked down at her.

He began talking, his eyes darting from each and every Orc prisoner as he did, in their filthy language for a while. Nàin glanced at the yellow-eyed Orc, knowing she should not encourage whatever was going on between the two of them, but still being desperate to know what was being told to them, "What's he saying?"

"Nothing I haven't heard before…" muttered the Orc back, causing Nàin to furrow her brow in confusion.

"Now, I suppose I must talk in this vile language of yours…" the leading Orc suddenly said. "You will all be delivered to the Dark Lord to serve him as… _slaves_ …" The other Orcs chuckled at this.

"All of us?" asked an Orc from the back.

The leading Orc smirked, walking over to him. Nàin saw his hand hovering over his whip, though in the last second he changed his mind, grabbing his dagger instead before plunging it into the chest of the Orc who had spoken. The yellow-eyed Orc beside her flinched, earning a look from Nàin.

"No," said the leading Orc quietly when he was staring down at the body. "Most of you will be executed. Best part is, I get to choose when you get executed." The Orc smirked, turning his head towards Nàin who squirmed under his evil, bloodthirsty look. "You, _Dwarf_ , will be taken to Barad-dûr too. More specifically its dungeons. Whoever enters does not come out again… alive…"

"Why?" she asked, her voice unwillingly squeaky.

"Why?" The Orc let out a laugh, approaching her. Abruptly ending his laughter, the Orc grabbed her jaw, yanking her towards her painfully. "Haven't you heard? The Dwarven Kingdom Royalty's biggest weakness is family. Take you away, and the King will crumble, making Erebor easy for taking."

Nàin's eyes widened, "No…"

" _Yes_ …" hissed the Orc, finally releasing her jaw. "Move out!"

The Orcs dispersed themselves to be all around the prisoners, while the leading Orc walked at the front. These Orcs took it slow, seeming confident that nobody was following them… or simply not having a deadline to reach.

Nàin's heart was beating quickly, hammering against her chest painfully. For the first time in a long time she felt emotions, she felt like the queen side of her had suddenly awoken. Not only that, but also the mother side of her. That was her family they were thinking of murdering to take over the kingdom…

If they thought keeping her in Barad-dûr's dungeons, probably torturing her to death, would ensure Fili and the others doom, then she would not give that victory to them so easily. If escaping and sending notice to her family was the only way she would be able to defend her kingdom… then she would do it no matter the price.

Glancing around her to make sure none of the hostile Orcs were nearby, she sped up her walk to lean close to the yellow-eyed Orc.

"I'll do it."

He glanced back at her, surprise in his eyes. Slowly, and only when nobody was looking, the Orc turned and reached out a hand towards her. There, in his palm, Maybeline's bracelet lay. She glanced up at him, nodding her head once, before gently grabbing it, putting it back on her scared and red wrist. The Orc nodded his head too before turning back around again.

She might not like working with those creatures, but it was her best shot at saving her own kingdom.

 **Thor**

He let out a sigh as Gandalf mumbled a few rude words, going to give up and sit down at a nearby rock. The company had been waiting for close to an hour now, and yet the door had not opened. Dwarven doors could only be opened when one knew the password, or when one had the key. Nobody had the password and although Gandalf had acted confident about knowing it or finding it out, an hour later he had still not opened that door.

Merry and Pippin were over by the lake, throwing rocks into the murky, unmoving water. Boromir was sitting next to Thor and Gimli, while Aragorn was helping Sam release Billy the pony.

"The mines are no place for a pony," Thor heard Aragorn say to poor Sam who had grown quite accustomed to the animal. He had stayed with them even during the snowy parts of Caradhras, and now he was leaving them. It meant the company would have to carry much more on their backs, but the pony would truly not be able to move through a mine.

"Speak friend and enter…" mumbled Frodo as he sat down next to Gandalf, whom by now had taken out his pipe to smoke and calm down his nerves.

"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elven or Men, or Orcs that was used in such a purpose…" mumbled Gandalf.

Gimli glanced at Thor, whispering to him, "Since when do wizards feel sorry for themselves?"

Legolas glanced at the two smirking Dwarves, clearly having heard what they whispered with his elven ears. He made no comment though.

Behind them, Aragorn urged Merry and Pippin away from the waters, causing Gimli to shake his head.

"In his letter to Dwalin, Balin told us about that river. It was described just like that. And no Dwarf wanted to get near it."

"Why?"

"They said it felt as though something was watching them from it. Aye, but don't listen to tales of old Dwarves, little one." Gimli patter Thor on the back, causing the younger Dwarf to nearly fall forwards. "They were weary after such a journey."

Thor glanced over at Boromir, knowing he felt as though something was watching him. Boromir had already been looking at him, and the two shared a curious and worrying glance before turning their heads towards the waters. They both felt relieved Aragorn had urged Merry and Pippin to stop.

"It's a riddle…" Frodo's words caused everyone's attention to turn to him. "Gandalf, what does it say again?"

"Roughly translated; _The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter._ "

"A riddle! Of course! Gandalf, what is elvish for friend?"

Gandalf glanced at the Hobbit, who by now was standing eagerly in front of the lights the ithildin was casting.

" _Mellon_."

Almost immediately, a gush of dust was pushed off of the doors. Frodo backed up while the other companions stood up to watch the doors open.

"I'll be damned…" exclaimed Boromir.

"Moria…" said Gimli in awe.

However, when the dust had settled… there was only darkness to be seen behind that door. Unbeknownst to the company, ripples were suddenly seen on the water behind them; ripples created no by Merry and Pippin throwing rocks into the lake…


	35. Chapter 35, Mines of Moria Part 2

**Thanks to Starimus Prime for reviewing :) Happy you're liking this story :)**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 35  
Mines of Moria Part 2**

* * *

 **Thor**

Distracted by the dark and uninviting entrance into Khazad-dûm, Thor was not alerted to the presence of the monster until Frodo cried out in alarm. The four Hobbits had been just behind him where he was stood watching the company inspect the open doors. Now, however, something slim and slimy was pulling Frodo by his foot towards the water. The three remaining Hobbits had drawn their weapons quickly, though only Sam had come to his senses fast enough to follow Frodo and start hacking and slicing at the tentacle.

Thor grabbed his battle mace, though was unsure of what to do. The others surrounded Thor, staring at the tentacle as well. Luckily, Sam managed to hack the tentacle in two and it released Frodo's foot. The remainder of the tentacle retreated back into the water, and it was silent again. Thor almost calmed down… but it was not over yet.

Suddenly, the water dispersed as a large, creature exposed itself. It seemed mad it had not gotten its dinner yet, and multiple tentacles began attacking Frodo this time. They pushed Sam away, and grabbed Frodo by his foot once more. Thor charged along with the others, though the creature was faster and lifted Frodo up into the air to the point where he was unreachable.

"Aragorn!" called Frodo in despair.

Said man charged, shouting something in Elvish as he did. Thor and Gimli followed Aragorn, seeing Legolas' arrows fly past them when they did. Halfway into the water, Thor and Gimli begun slicing at the tentacles, though they could not manage to get the one that was holding Frodo. Aragorn and Boromir fought by their side, hacking and slicing too with their swords. Finally, one of Legolas' arrows hit a nerve of the creature. It wailed and let go of Frodo, whom fell into the arms of Aragorn.

"Quickly! Inside!" called Gandalf from the doors.

Aragorn and Frodo were the first ones to leave. On his way towards the doors, Aragorn grabbed Thor's shoulder, forcing him along. Gimli followed suit and after some persuasion from Boromir, he came too. Legolas stayed put, shooting arrows until everyone was inside.

However, there was one problem left. The creature heaved itself out of the water and began crawling towards them. It was at least ten times the size of the door opening, and would not be able to get inside, but its tentacles would. With each second it and its tentacles got closer. Legolas joined them inside, still shooting arrows at the beast.

Thor looked at Gandalf, "We gotta close those doors!"

Gandalf, however, already seemed to have gotten that idea. His mouth was twitching, trying to come up with a word that would indeed close the doors again. Luckily, he didn't have to think for very long. The creature's tentacles grabbed onto the sides of the doors, wanting to heave the creature forwards. Some of them were reaching in already, and Boromir and Aragorn slashed at those. However, the door opening could not handle the weight of the creature, and as it began heaving itself towards them, the door and some of the mountain side collapsed.

It happened quickly. Gimli had grabbed Aragorn's shirt, pulling him back, while Thor had grabbed Boromir's shirt. A rush of dust spread over the company, causing them to cough, though once the boulders had settled down, the dust did as well. Darkness fell over them just as silence did. There were no greetings of fellow Dwarves, no Balin in sight nor Ori. Far in the distance there were no Dwarvish voices talking to each other, there were no sounds of a mine being worked and there were no faint lights of flickering torches.

It was just silent and dark.

But not empty.

Gandalf whispered something through the darkness, and suddenly his staff lit up. Its light was pale, like the stars, but it reached further than several torches could have done. Boromir had lifted his shield up to protect them both from any rocks, and once he could see again the man relaxed. He looked down at Thor once before beginning to take in his surroundings. Aragorn placed a hand on Thor's shoulder, looking at him intensely. The Dwarf just nodded, answering the unasked question Aragorn had had.

"The way back is blocked. Only one way to go now. Forwards…" announced Gandalf.

"Gandalf, what was that thing?" asked Frodo.

"I do not know. But its arms were well guided. Foul and old things have stirred in the depth of Moria. Older than Orcs."

The thing had gone after Frodo. However, Thor thought, perhaps the thing had actually been going after the Ring. Thor felt a wave of relief flood through him that Frodo had the company there to help him through these moments. He had no doubt Sam or Merry or Pippin had the courage to help as well, but the more the better.

"In the depths of Moria… and yet here we are walking," mumbled Boromir, the walls of the kingdom magnifying what he was saying. "Who shall lead us through this madness?"

"I will!" announced Gandalf carefree, earning a smile from the four Hobbits, "And our two fellow Dwarves shall walk with me."

"This is all nonsense," said Gimli with a scoff. "Soon we will be met by my kin. By Lord Balin who has been ruling here since our King and Queen asked to retake this ancient kingdom."

"A quest I have always been against. Why would Fili and Nàin do this?"

"They were in need of ore!"

"Ore? They live in the richest kingdom and they needed ore?" asked Gandalf.

"For the defences," explained Thor.

The company began walking, everyone listening in on the conversation between the Dwarves and Gandalf.

"They figured out something might be coming. It was after our Queen had been attacked. She became… well, many called it paranoid. Others called it insightful. Either way, Erebor's walls are stronger than ever. Nobody can get in if the King and Queen do not want it." Gimli puffed out his chest in pride, and Thor smiled at the memory of home.

However, his heart fell at the sound of how they talked about his mother. He, Aragorn and perhaps Gandalf knew Nàin was not at home.

Gandalf turned towards the two Dwarves, a strange prideful smile on his lips, "I always knew those two were intellectual and fit to become royalty; leaders."

The company walked for a little while until they arrived at a large, steep staircase. Gandalf raised his staff slightly, letting the light fall onto half the staircase. They counted at least 200 steps, but they knew there was more to it.

"That's a lot of steps…" gulped Pippin.

"Then you have not seen the staircases in Erebor!" announced Gimli, earning a smirk from Thor.

"I will admit, though, the staircases in Erebor are not as… old…" said Thor, inspecting the first few steps and seeing how the edges had rounded over the years, causing the staircase to be quite dangerous to walk on.

Not only that, but it was a steep climb. It would take them all a long time.

"I think we should take a break first. Get something to eat and gather our strength," suggested Frodo.

For the first time during one of their breaks, Thor sat with Gandalf. He had often sat with Gimli as they were old friends, but usually Boromir was the one Thor stayed close with during breaks. Gandalf had never really approached Thor before. They both simply knew each other. It was a strange thing to have heard so much about someone that Thor actually already knew him and had never really been interested in an introduction. Gandalf had, in return, never approached Thor either. Now, Thor was sitting next to him, the leader of the company, and it felt more relaxed than he had anticipated. Gandalf said nothing, but simply smoked his pipe silently.

It was not until Gimli left them alone to take a sanitary break, that Gandalf spoke up.

"I know you know."

Thor glanced at the wizard, still chewing on a piece of food. He swallowed it quickly, grimacing, before answering, "Know what?"

"More than you are letting on. You can feel this place is not empty. Yet you know there are no Dwarves."

"I've been trying to deny it. But if there were Dwarves, they'd know we're here. But then again, this place is large-"

"Do not deny your instincts. Trust them."

Thor stared at Gandalf. He looked mildly pleased that Thor seemed surprised by what Gandalf knew.

"Aragorn has been talking to me. Those nightmares you have, those visions, don't deny them either."

"He's told you about my mother?" asked Thor quietly. The two were far away enough from the others for them not to hear their quiet conversation. Yet, Thor was worried they would. Still he was scared being different meant that he would be shunned. Aragorn and Gandalf treated him the same, yet there was a chance others might not.

"He has. I can tell you I've felt it too. I know where they're taking her. But you will not like it."

"Tell me."

"Barad-dûr. Or rather its dungeons. The enemy tried to get to her before too, all those years ago when your brother and sister were born. When that failed, they begun plotting a different strategy. However, your mother never left the mountain. Perhaps she knew, or perhaps she didn't. Either way, her staying within those walls was what kept her safe. The moment she left for Rivendell, her doom was sealed."

Thor looked away, putting his food away. Gandalf had made him loose his appetite. Or rather the truth had made him loose his appetite.

"The enemy has many plans for Erebor. I fear while we are fighting our war here, they will be fighting their very own war."

"Luckily we have defences. My family… my kin will be fine."

"But have the men of Dale such defences?"

Thor's eyes widened at that statement.

"I-If the enemy wanted to weaken the crown… then… why not take father? He has left Erebor many a times these past forty years."

"Would it have worked as well as it is now?" asked Gandalf. "Would your mother react the way Fili would react? Do not try and deny that your father has not been affected by that doomed throne the way Thorin was. Or the way Thror I was."

"I know…"

"While we're at the subject… you do know your mother's blood flows through your veins as well? What makes you think the throne would affect you?"

The moment Gandalf began talking about that subject, Thor glared over at the wizard. It was an unwise move, perhaps, but Thor could not help it. That very subject was too close to his heart. He would not have anyone discuss that with him. He had set up his mind. That throne did not belong to him now nor would it ever.

Gandalf, on the other hand, seemed amused by Thor's glare. Instead, the wizard packed his pipe and stood up, "Let's go!"


	36. Chapter 36, Mines of Moria Part 3

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 36  
Mines of Moria Part 3**

* * *

 **Thor**

Gimli still seemed ready for Dwarves to appear to welcome them to their kingdom. Thor, on the other hand, had lost all hope of seeing any Dwarves there. Not only because Gandalf believed, or knew, they were all gone, but it was clear that this was nothing but a ruin of an ancient kingdom. Whatever the reason was for Balin and the other's silence those past years, it could not be good.

They had climbed the stairs three hours later and continued on through various hallways and tunnels. The darkness stayed put around them as did the silence. The occasional sounds of water dripping could be heard from time to time, though no one could see what water was dripping. Somewhere deep below them there seemed to be some form of water, perhaps some rainwater had entered from a hole somewhere and dripped down over the past decades this place had been empty, forming a pool somewhere deep below them.

Though apart from that, there were no other sounds.

"This should be no longer than a two day journey, then we'll see the sunlight again master Hobbits," was Gandalf's reply to Merry and Pippin's questions about how long this darkness would be the only thing they could see.

Towards the end of their first day, or at least Thor assumed it was the end of the day, they begun to get closer to the actual mines. The path they were on sloped downwards and there had been several staircases downwards. However, Gandalf stopped suddenly for the first time in a while. Thor glanced upwards, seeing Gandalf glancing back and forth between three, black arches with an unsure look in his eyes.

"I have no memory of this place…"

Aragorn walked forwards, about to say something when the wizard suddenly sat down on a rock, his back towards everyone. This time, Thor and Gimli were not invited to sit with him, and Aragorn quietly led them both away from the wizard.

"Are we lost?" whispered Pippin.

Merry remained silent, even though Pippin's question had been directed towards him. Nobody seemed to want to answer Pippin's question, even though everyone was beginning to assume that they were indeed lost.

"I cannot believe we haven't seen even a glimpse of a fellow Dwarf…" muttered Gimli, earning a look from Legolas.

"Even I am beginning to understand those Dwarves your King sent are not present anymore. It's too silent here, and you can hear a Dwarf from a mile away," replied Legolas, only earning a discontent look from Gimli.

The company, minus Gandalf, went to sit against a wall. Everyone was huddled together quietly, waiting for the wizard to suddenly spring up and continue leading them onwards. Some members ate while some tried to relax by taking out their pipes and smoking a little bit. Frodo seemed to be the only one who was simply just sitting there, staring at something in the dark.

A sudden dark anxiety overcame Thor. His fingers inched towards his mother's dagger and his glance moved towards the darkness Frodo was staring at. They were surrounded by light cast by a torch Boromir had managed to lit. A little away from them, Gandalf's light was cast against the arches. But apart from that, there was just darkness surrounding them. For some reason, that darkness creeped Thor out.

For a brief moment, he thought he saw something in the darkness. A glimpse of movement and the light of Boromir's torch being reflected by a pair of large eyes. While Frodo, who also seemed to have seen this, stood up and hurried over to Gandalf, Thor remained seated, unable to look away. He felt himself drift off, move away from his body while the darkness shifted into something visible…

 _Fire. Orange lights. Thunder. Wind. A mountain. Lava. Frodo and Sam, dirty and weak walking towards the orange light – struggling and falling. Thor's mother fighting weakness alongside them. And a creature crawling towards them._

 _The vision changed. Both Hobbits were on the ground and the strange creature gave off a hoarse scream towards Nàin. She unsheathed an Orcish blade, pointing it at the creature._

 _"What the hell are you?"_

 _Coughs. Retches. "Gollum. Gollum."_

 _"Stay away! Stay away!"_

 _Blades being swung, rocks being thrown. Frodo quietly running off… Nàin and Sam forcing themselves to follow…_

"Thor?"

He almost jumped out of his skin when a hand touched his shoulder and a kind voice spoke his name. The vision was now far off, only a distant memory. Yet, it haunted him. It had felt different than other visions had ever felt. It had been from the future, he understood that much, and although it gladdened him to see his mother alright, he feared she might not survive what would have come after all of that. Not only that, but he felt fear for something else. Something his mind had understood but hidden far away so he could not reach the answer.

Frodo's blue eyes were looking at him expectantly. Gandalf, from where he was sat, was staring at them. The others too were watching and only Aragorn and Gimli understood what had just happened.

"I'm fine…" he lied in a whisper. There was a strange longing inside of him that could only be explained as jealousy. However, that vision had looked dark and awful – why was he jealous of it? Something was not right.

Frodo did not seem convinced, but nodded his head altogether. Thor lifted his hand to his cheek to find tears rolling down. He had never really had such an intense vision before… And he did not even know why it was so intense for him to begin with.

"We are going to sleep. Gandalf will have figured things out in the morning," explained Legolas, his eyes curious and hesitant as he looked at Thor.

Not wanting to be near anyone, Thor moved away a little bit, finding a spot next to the mountain wall that seemed not too lumpy. He put down a few blankets and quickly lay down. The rest of the night was spent thinking about the vision, and Thor got almost no sleep at all.

 **Aiwin**

Tired and sweaty, Aiwin returned to the Hall of the Royals, her sword attached to her belt. The guards bowed their heads in respect as she passed them by and she was just about to enter her room, when something caught her eye.

Thror was standing at the end of the hallway, in the small parlour there, quietly talking to someone. It was late – too late for Aiwin or her brother to still be up – as she had been in charge of getting her younger sister to bed. Thorin had been Dis' main concern the past couple of days, the worry over Nàin taking a toll on him, and both Fili and Kili had a late counselling with Bofur and Gloin. So, it had fallen on Aiwin to care for her younger sisters which she had not minded. Though it had reminded her of her mother's missing presence and Aiwin, after Mori and Mili were safe and sound in bed, had found herself going down to the training halls to blow off some steam.

Now it was past midnight, and Thror was still up. Last time Aiwin checked, sleeping was one of her brother's favourite things to do.

She stayed put by her door, trying to hear who else was talking and what they were saying. Although she could not hear the exact words, she did recognize the voice of the other person; Kildin, Kili's favourite soldier and the Dwarf who would become the captain of the guards after Kili. Kildin was sixty years older than them, but still Thror was there, talking to him. They were stood close to each other, both leaning against a wall. From time to time, Kildin's eyes lit up with something that Aiwin could not describe in any other way but passion and she quickly understood what was going on.

She smiled, happy for her brother. There might be some form of a war going on outside of the kingdom, but at least things were still normal in Erebor (as normal as it could be with their Queen missing). She entered her bedroom and walked straight over to her window. Without thinking twice about it, Aiwin opened it to let in some fresh air. However, the sound of hooves caught her ears and she hurried to her balcony instead.

On the field between Dale and Erebor, a group of Dwarves returned on ponies. Torches lit up the air around them, making it look as though they were surrounded in a bubble of light. They were still far off, but would be by the entrance in ten or twenty minutes. Aiwin – everyone – knew who they were. Fili had chosen a small number of Dwarves to go search for Nàin. He had seemed hesitant, which everyone understood. After all, leaving the kingdom during these troubling times was a risk and seeing as he had chosen some of his best warriors, it was not only a risk for the Dwarves but also for the kingdom as they lost some of their defence for a brief period of time.

From such a distance, Aiwin could not see whether their mission had been successful. There was just a small chance of them finding her mother now, seeing as it had been so long and the Orcs had already been given such a head start – but there was still hope.

She burst out of her room, surprising Thror and Kildin, before hurrying past the guards again. Down and down the stairs she ran all the way towards the main entrance and once she reached it, ten minutes had already passed. The gates were opened – whom during these times were kept shut unless there was important trading or business to be done – and the party was let in. Fili and Kili stood alone to greet them back along with some servants, though it was clear that it was an unannounced return.

Aiwin watched from a corner as Dwalin and six other Dwarves came to a halt before their king. Her eyes searched each pony for a sign of her mother… only to find none. She saw Kili turn towards his brother, who bowed his head in grief. For a moment, Fili's remaining reactions were clouded by tears, and by the time Aiwin had wiped them all away, Fili was standing in front of her.

"Da'?" she asked quietly.

He kept a monotone look on his face, placing a hand on her shoulder before passing her by. Her uncle stayed with her though, wrapping an arm around her for a brief hug before passing her by as well.

She just hoped that at some point, her mother would return.

She just hoped that her mother _could_ return, and that the Orcs had not already dealt with her the way Orcs were rumoured to deal with prisoners. With death.


	37. Chapter 37, Mines of Moria Part 4

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 37  
Mines of Moria Part 4**

* * *

 **Thor**

After several hours of trying to fall asleep to no avail, Thor sat up straight when Gandalf awoke the company.

"Come on now, we don't have all day," the wizard spoke strangely cheerfully while the company packed their bags. "During the night I have pondered a lot, and decided on which way we shall go."

"Oh! He remembers!" said Pippin happily.

"No, master Took. I do not," sighed Gandalf. By now, the company was once more on their feet, following Gandalf to the three arches – one of which should lead them down to the mines through which they had to go. "I do not like the feel of the middle way, and I do not like the smell of the left-hand way. So, the right-hand way it is. The air does not smell so foul down there."

Gandalf, his staff still alit, began the descendance downwards through the left-hand arch, Gimli and Thor behind him. Still not over his vision from last night, Thor remained silent and avoided eye-contact as much as he could with the others. Luckily, he knew this was not the time to talk about anything but their path through Moria, as this place felt wrong, so he would be left alone for now. However, he was sure that the moment they were all safe and sound again (as safe and sound one could be while in close proximity with the ringbearer), the questions would start.

Many steps downwards they took, spiralling ever down into what seemed to be a never-ending darkness. Drops of water could still be heard amongst the shuffling of feet, yet where that water led no one was sure of.

How long it all took, Thor did not know. He doubted any of the others had much more of a grasp of time in this darkness – however, eventually, they did reach the final steps. Gandalf halted right outside of another arch, his eyes scanning the darkness ahead of him. His staff's light reached a few feet ahead of him, yet there were no walls indicating a hallway and there was nothing above them indicating a ceiling. The air was indeed not foul down there, but felt fresh and slightly cold. Sam, who had come to a stop next to Thor, shivered slightly.

"Let's risk a little more light," murmured Gandalf, his voice echoing strangely against something off in the darkness. He moved his staff to his hand, moving his fingers around the staff in a strange way before tweaking the crystal. Suddenly, more light emerged, lightening up enough for them all to suddenly be in complete awe. "The great realm and city of Dwarrowdelf."

Pillars stood tall, leading down all the way towards the end of the vast and large kingdom – Thor presumed, even though he could not see the end yet. The walls reached so high up Thor wondered if there even was a ceiling, as even with Gandalf's extra light, they could not see anything above them but darkness. Shadows danced away from Gandalf's light, and for a brief moment Thor thought those shadows were… something else; something alive. Though he dropped that thought when nobody else seemed to see it.

It was indeed a magnificent place and had it not been so dark, Thor knew he would have thought it more beautiful than Erebor's vast halls.

Gimli gasped, seeming surprised they had reached this magnificent destination. Thor himself had heard but little of this place – all he knew was that this was a part of Khazad-dûm, and that the mines were not far away from this city. Soon they'd reach them and soon they'd be out of this place, and once more on their way towards Mordor.

"Let's walk on. The mines are not far away now. Soon we'll reach the Gates and be clear of this place," said Gandalf.

"Such darkness still," added Sam, seeming sad. "There must have been a large crowd of Dwarves staying here once, and this place must have been magnificent."

"Once there were many a Dwarves here. And once there was light – daylight as a matter of fact. I do not know if the windows looking out have been blocked by something, or if it is actually night-time outside – either way, this place feels darker than night and I think we should press on. The mines are soon within our grasp," said Gandalf, earning agreeing nods from the company.

 **Nàin**

"Oomph…" Large hands forced her down on the ground and she glared up at the Orc. They had been running non-stop for days now and even her fellow imprisoned Orcs were beginning to get tired. With large hammers and large iron nails, the Orcs secured the prisoners to the ground by their chains before they walked off to rest or eat.

Finally, Nàin was left alone with the Orcs she had decided to escape with. Though she found herself being unsure of what to say or do. Instead, she glanced over at the yellow-eyed Orc to her right, who was already looking at her.

"Little queen… introductions?" he said, earning a nod from her. "They call me Koglath. I'm their leader. My bravest Orc is Orcrar." Upon being mentioned, the Orc to her left looked up. He was not prettier than Koglath, two fangs sticking out, pressing his bottom lip out. "The others follow me blindly, for I am strongest."

"Okay, I get it. Strong equals power…" mumbled Nàin before raising her voice again, "What of them?" With her head she gestured towards the ones who were bringing them to Mordor.

"I recognize their leader. I fought him on my way out of Mordor decades ago. I thought him dead. He is called Uldug, the Poisoner. Watch out for his whip, I do not know what effects it has on Dwarf."

"I have to ask… why are you imprisoned?" asked Nàin.

Koglath glared over at her, "None of Dwarf's business."

"You can call me Nàin, you know."

Koglath smirked, "I know, _Dwarf_."

She rolled her eyes, "Any ideas of how to get out?"

Koglath pulled on his chain, trying his best to move the piece of iron that was keeping them chained to the ground, but to no avail. Nàin glanced over at the Orcs a little bit away from them. Their backs were turned towards them and if they somehow managed to get their chains free without making too much noise, they could slip away. It was not the worst idea and she liked it, but those chains looked to be tightly hammered into the ground and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to get free without alerting the other Orcs.

"Orcrar," Koglath ordered. The Orc moved forwards, placing his hands on the iron nail to try and shift it, though he gave up quickly, shaking his head.

"We need the ground to be softer… Where are they taking us? What road?"

Koglath glanced at Nàin, "We're passing over the Brown Lands now. There's a passage into Udûn, from which we will get to Barad-dûr easily."

"Eh, and Udûn is in Mordor?"

Koglath frowned, "No, it's in Rohan."

"Wow, sarcasm from an Orc…" mumbled Nàin. "Sorry I asked."

"Why _did_ you ask?"

"If we get to any land that's more… wet… we could get the nail out easier. Granted they keep us chained up like this every time they take a break."

"They do," said Koglath. "It's a plan."

"Then, all we'll do is move away as stealthily as possible-"

"Stealth? Stealth is weakness. We should fight them, kill them and wear their ears around our necks as proof of our strength!"

"Ssch!" hissed Nàin as the other Orcs suddenly began clapping their hands in agreement with their leader. "Oh, Mahal, you Orcs and your fighting. Listen to me, they have bows and arrows; swords; axes – we can't take them on without dying. You want out? Then we do this stealthily."

Koglath seemed unimpressed, "We will fail. But you are not wrong. We will try it your way. And then we will do it our way."

"We won't have to do it your way, because my way will work. Trust me."

"Trust a Dwarf…" mumbled Orcra from her left bitterly.

"It will be difficult. Uldug's band of Orcs are masterful archers."

"It's worth a try," sighed Nàin. "Look, we can't escape once we are in Mordor. That's too dangerous. If we want to get out, we have to get out before we reach Udûn."

Koglath sighed, glancing at Orcrar who nodded his head. The other Orcs had been listening as well, their heads all turned towards Nàin and Koglath.

"There's rain coming in two days. A lot of rain…" An Orc a little further away from them had spoken, causing everyone's heads to turn towards him. He had a bald head and almost illuminating blue eyes. His chin was filled with pieces of hair sticking out in an unruly way.

"Cezga," introduced Kolgath.

"How do you know?" asked Nàin, glancing up at the clear night sky above them.

"I can smell it… Feel it…" Cezga caressed the hairs on his chin, smirking over at Nàin.

"To you it's strange," said Kolgath, looking at Nàin's distrustful look, "but he has never been wrong before."

"If there is rain, the ground will be soft." Orcrar's words caused the other Orcs to murmur in agreement.

Nàin glanced at Kolgath, "The rain could help us sneak away as well, cancelling some of our noise."

"Aye…"

"Cezga better not be wrong then…"

 **Thor**

"Gimli's tales are of wealth and jewels… but I don't see them." The voice who had said that belonged to Sam, the four Hobbits walking in the back of the group.

They had by now already reached the mines, walking past the abandoned shovels, pickaxes and machinery used for mining. Holes in the ground reached so far down sometimes that there seemed to be no bottom.

"This is a ruin," whispered Merry back.

"But a ruin is just abandoned, not stripped of its wealth."

"Orcs have plundered here many a times," said Gandalf in response to the Hobbits' talk. "They have taken whatever the Dwarves left behind."

"But… then why would the Dwarves want to come back?" asked Sam.

Gandalf smirked, halting next to a particular hole in the ground. He lifted his staff up, casting the light down into it and revealing what the Dwarves had once been digging for.

"Mithril." The light of Gandalf's staff was reflected back against the Mithril ore; showing to them all how it looked even purer than the purest of Silver.

"Almost sixty years ago my father and mother sent Dwarves here to bring Mithril ore back," began Thor, "It is tougher than anything else, and is a good material for defences, albeit it had never been used for that since the First Age. It is rare, but not here in Moria. That is why Balin and the others were sent here. That is why we want to reclaim this place."

"And we have yet to see signs of Balin and the others," grumbled Gimli, still in denial of the obvious.

Gandalf began walking again, the company following.

"Then what did the Dwarves flee from? If this place was so good?" asked Pippin.

"They dug too deep and stirred something in the pits below our realm…" Gandalf's voice was dark. Boromir, walking behind Thor, shivered.

Thor remembered the talk about Durin's Bane all those years ago and how afraid his elders had seemed of it. He had been no older than a child then and never really asked about it. Now, he wondered what it was; or who it was.

"More I shall not say. I will not have the company be discouraged by something that might not even be true," said Gandalf, his voice sounding a little happier again, though Thor figured it was simply an act.

"But you believe in it?" asked Frodo.

Gandalf remained silent after that question, instead beginning to talk a little later again, changing the subject all together, "Bilbo was once given a corset of Mithril rings by Thorin, as a gift of friendship."

"That is a kingly gift! A corset of Moria-silver!" exclaimed Gimli.

"Yes," chuckled Gandalf. "I never told him, but its worth is greater than the whole Shire and everything in it. I wonder what became of it."

Their walk through the mines was uneventful after this conversation. The whole company had a laugh when Boromir stumbled over a piece of rock, but they made sure to keep quiet in case Durin's Bane was real. Even if Gandalf had not wanted to talk about it, it was obvious that both he, Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas believed in it, even if they did not know, or wanted to tell anyone, what _it_ was. Perhaps they had heard tales, or perhaps even read scrolls about it – either way, they seemed gloomy and so the others of the company became edgy as well.

Gandalf led them through a couple more hallways, entering yet another great hall. He stopped in this hall, looking around once more.

"If I am not mistaken, we are near the Gates. We should rest up so that we can move away from this place once we are outside without having to rest. Yes… that would be best."

The company chose a wall to camp near, and the night passed uneventfully. Thor's vision was no longer on his mind, Durin's Bane instead having taken over. However, seeing as he had not slept anything the past night, he fell asleep the moment he lied down. Boromir awoke him six hours later, and after a quick breakfast, they moved onwards.

Once more everything passed by uneventfully – until two hours later when Gimli suddenly cried out. It even shocked Gandalf, everyone coming to a stop while Gimli ran away. To their left, a doorway existed with a little bit of daylight rushing in, the light directed towards a tomb.

Thor's heart sank in his chest, and he quickly ran after Gimli and into the room. However, instead of running directly towards the grave, he stopped in the doorway, skidding to a halt. His eyes widened and his heart sank even more.

There, skeletons of Dwarves lay scattered all around the tomb. They had been wearing their armour, but none had survived.

"Please no…" breathed Thor quietly.

Aragon appeared next to Thor, placing a hand on his shoulder. Together the two walked towards where Gimli had fallen to his knees, gently crying before the tomb. Thor swallowed loudly, looking away from the inscription the moment he had read it.

Gandalf walked forwards with the rest of the company, brushing a hand over the inscription to clear it of dust before reading it aloud, "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin. Lord of Moria."


	38. Chapter 38, Drums In the Deep

**A/N: Just realized how long we've stayed in Moria... Let's move on now, shall we? Next chapter is going to be intense and filled with action.**

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Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 38  
Drums In the Deep**

* * *

 **Fili**

 _"Fili?"_

 _A soft voice. Nàin's voice._

 _He found himself in his bed, though he could not see past it. The rest of the room was simply not there. There was not darkness - just nothing. Either way, Fili was not interested in the rest of the room, because there, next to him, lay Nàin._

 _His heart leaped out of his chest at the sight of her there, resting her head on her hand and smiling at him. The scar she had gotten in the Goblin Town was gone and she did not look tired; she was just perfect._

 _Neither of them wore clothes. The only thing covering her was the sheet under which they both lay. Fili reached over to her, afraid that when he touched her she would disappear out of his grasp again._

 _But she didn't._

 _She simply smiled at him._

 _Fili could not hold it back. Tears fell freely down his cheeks and he moved over to her, resting his head against hers, breathing in her scent and relishing in her being there with him._

 _"What's wrong?"_

 _"I thought… I thought you were gone."_

 _Nàin smiled again, her hand brushing away strands of rogue hair from his face. He pulled back, just a little bit, so he could see her face up close._

 _"Durin's beard… You are so beautiful…"_

 _Another smile._

 _"Please let this be real…"_

"DAD!"

With a start, Fili awoke. Mili and Nmori both jumped up into his bed, shaking him awake. He was genuinely scared for a moment or two, and then his dream faded away and his mind caught up to him.

"Wha…"

"Good morning, da'!"

Those smiles, reminding him of _her_ , and that blissful unawareness of their mother's actual situation – it did something to Fili. Nothing bad. It just made something click inside of him.

Why mourn her? Why mourn his loss? He had not truly lost her. Not yet. She could still be alive. Besides, he had her still. Right there, in his children and in his heart; in his memory.

There was still hope and so long as his children were alright, and so long as everyone remembered her, Nàin would never truly disappear.

"Hey, you two," smiled Fili.

Footsteps approached, and a flushed Aiwin appeared in the doorway. It was obvious she had run over, probably to try and stop her younger siblings from entering Fili's room.

"So sorry, father," she apologized, shaking her head at her sisters who simply giggled at their antics. "I tried to stop them but they're… urgh… they're being annoying."

Fili smiled, causing Aiwin to stop in her tracks. She had been walking over to the bed, ready to drag her siblings out. The past day or two, Fili had been shutting himself out. He was sure that Aiwin had been told to leave him alone, and that he was completely out of it. Finding him smiling must have been a shock to her.

"It's okay."

Aiwin blinked a couple of times before straightening up, "Oh… okay."

"Really. It is," smiled Fili, looking down at Mili – the youngest – before tickling her. She jumped away, laughing loudly.

Aiwin smiled, but still seemed unsure. So, Fili sat up straight in bed, waving her over. She awkwardly sat down on the bedside.

"There's always hope." Fili watched as Aiwin's eyes turned sad, and then confused again. "Always."

Aiwin suddenly smiled, nodding her head, "I knew it."

Nàin had gone through Goblin Town. Nàin had gone through Mirkwood. Nàin had fought a dragon.

Fili was not going to lose hope that Nàin could make it through this as well.

Fili was not going to lose hope that Nàin would return home.

 **Thor**

"He is dead then… I feared it was so," mumbled Gandalf quietly.

Silently, the company stayed put behind Gimli and Thor, watching them mourn. Thor remained quiet while mourning, unlike Gimli, and did his best to look away from the tomb. He had known something bad had happened, it had been obvious from what Gandalf had been insinuating all along.

Though as he looked away from Balin's grave, he was only met with even more death. All around them were skeletons of Dwarves. Perhaps they had come in here to mourn Balin before they suddenly died, or perhaps they had fled in here – Thor did not know. But his bet was on the latter theory, as all of the dead Dwarves had been clad in armour, having died with their weapons in their hands.

Aragorn's hand was still on Thor's shoulder, and in a fit of raging sadness, Thor shook his hand off and walked away from the group. With his back against the company, he looked over all the corpses. This was all on his parents. All of these lives had been taken because of a decision they had made.

It just convinced Thor even more that he would never want to become a king. These sort of decisions… he would not be able to live with himself if he had to make those.

Thor kneeled down next to one Dwarf in particular. He had died clutching a large journal to his chest. An arrow had pierced his heart. A figure crouched down next to Thor, gently pulling the arrow out. The gloved hand belonged to Boromir.

"Orcs…" reported Boromir back to the company before turning his attention back to Thor. Once more with gentle movements, Boromir placed a hand against the skeleton's forehead, "They're at rest now."

Thor glanced over at Boromir, and Boromir almost did a doubletake. Maybe Thor had glared. Maybe Thor had looked more emotional than Boromir had ever seen anyone – Thor didn't know. All he knew was the pain in his own heart.

Looking away from Boromir, Thor turned his attention to the journal. Perhaps Orcish arrows had pierced this Dwarf's heart, but Thor wanted to make sure. He gently, as though he was asking permission from the dead Dwarf, grabbed the journal from the skeleton, standing up.

As he opened the journal, Thor gasped and placed the journal away from him before stepping back. He should not have been surprised. After all, it was obvious none of the Dwarves had made it. So why, when he saw Ori's handwriting, did it seem like such a painful shock?

Thor, during his schooling, had read many of Ori's scrolls about Erebor's past; about Thorin; about his father – and now he was dead. Gandalf looked at the journal, glancing once at Thor before moving to the last entry.

Unbeknownst to them all, Pippin was moving away from the company.

"It is grim reading…" mumbled Gandalf, the whole company standing, listening. All apart from Pippin. A shiver ran down Thor's spine as the Wizard spoke. Even Gimli quieted down to listen. "'We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the Bridge and second hall.' The rest is smudged with… blood, I think. Here, it goes on, 'the pool is up to the wall at Westgate. The watcher in the water took Oin. We cannot get out. The end comes… drums… drums in the deep…'"

A long pause fell over the company.

"So ends the retake of Moria…" grumbled Gandalf.

"The watcher. We encountered him," deduced Frodo.

"The water must have sunken over the years. We were in luck," said Gandalf.

Suddenly, something happened. A loud bang was heard, followed by Pippin gasping in surprise. The whole company turned towards him. A little away from them, Pippin had found a well. On it, a Dwarven skeleton had been leaning, an arrow in his chest as well. Somehow, Pippin had gotten the skull to fall off, the thing falling down into the depths of the well. It landed somewhere far below them, disturbing the silence that had once been in Moria.

Once it landed, there was a moment of silence. Pippin glanced at the company, and when the silence remained, Pippin seemed to relax. However, things were not over.

The whole skeleton had lost its balance when losing its skull, and suddenly the rest of the body fell down, creating even more noise than the skull alone had made. Thor cringed, at the noise.

Luckily, silence followed this happening as well.

"Fool of a Took!" scolded Gandalf, surprising even Thor. It had just been an accident after all. "Throw yourself in next time to rid us of your stupidity!"

Thor could not believe their luck that nothing had stirred in the depths of this foul place. Gandalf relaxed as well after he had scolded Pippin, who remained quiet and with his head bowed low in remorse.

"Take this book back to Fili," said Gandalf, handing the journal to Thor. "He will want it."

"Ay," agreed Thor, placing the journal into his backpack.

Gandalf turned to the rest of the company, opening his mouth to speak when suddenly…

Drums were heard far off in the depth of Moria. It could be heard through the well, and Pippin was the first one to turn towards the sound. At first it had been vague; far off. But the second time they heard it, it was closer.

Whatever it was that was coming, it was closing in fast.

"They're coming…" said Legolas ominously.

"You don't say," mumbled Thor quietly, taking out his battle mace.

A fight was coming.


	39. Chapter 39, Durin's Bane Part 1

**A/N: This was a tremendously fun chapter to write. I checked YouTube for how Jackson interpreted the whole ordeal, than I read the chapter in the book and made a mix. Loved doing it! XD It's times like these that I realize why I love writing Fanfiction...**

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Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 39  
Durin's Bane Part 1  
**

* * *

 **Thor**

With his hand tightly curled around his battle mace, knuckles white and fingers painfully throbbing, the young Dwarf watched as Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas worked hard on barricading the northern door. Only later did Thor realize that the spears and pieces of wood had been lying curiously near the door, most likely used by the Dwarves all those years ago in an attempt to barricade the door as well. If it had not worked for them, it would never had worked for the Fellowship either.

There were eastern doors, leading down into a dark passage. Merry and Pippin went to barricade those doors, but Gandalf stopped them, "We may have to run. I do not want to go down there, for I do not know where it will lead us, but it might be our last chance yet."

The drums came closer and closer. Before the northern doors were closed, Boromir had a peek out into the hall there. An arrow almost hit his head, but he managed to dodge it, closing the doors instead.

"Orcs. A lot of them," reported Boromir to the Wizard. "And… they have a cave troll."

Thor tensed up, moving over to Gimli, who had jumped up onto Balin's tomb to have the advantage of height, a battle axe in his hand and his previous thoughts of mourning turned into anger. He was ready for a fight, unlike Thor. Pippin looked equally as lost as Thor did at the moment, though at least Thor had some training. Pippin, along with the other Hobbits, had once been taught by Boromir how to hold a sword correctly – but that was it.

While the Fellowship continued to prepare and barricade the northern door, Thor moved over to Pippin and the other Hobbits. The wizard stood a little in front of them but was heading them no notice at the moment.

"Whatever you do," began Thor, earning the utmost attention of each Hobbit, "stay together."

For a moment they remained quiet, then the Hobbits nodded their heads, huddling together tighter. Positioning himself next to the Wizard, who had taken out his sword, holding it in one hand and his staff in the other, Thor took a deep breath. He might not be ready to be thrown into a fight with Orcs and a Cave Troll, but he had no choice but to try his best. There was no other option than to fight.

Laughter began to echo in the hallway outside, menacing and cackling laughter only crazed, evil Orcs could muster – and before they knew it, hammers and axes were being used on the barricaded door. Aragorn and Boromir, who had been closest to the door, jumped back, joining Legolas in the back who was already pointed an arrow at the door. For just a few moments, the Fellowship could do nothing but stare and watch. Legolas shot the occasional arrow at Orc hands trying to pry through the wood, but apart from that, nothing else happened.

Indeed, nothing else happened. It was odd, but somehow the barricaded door seemed to dismay the Orcs. After Legolas had shot a few, and after Boromir had joined Legolas by slashing and hacking at Orcs managing to peek through the broken wood, they retreated. They were still out there as the Company could hear their harsh, sickly breathing and the clanking of their armour, but they were no longer hacking and slashing at the door.

"Now is our chance!" exclaimed Gandalf, turning to the eastern doors. "Run!"

The fellowship turned to move, but they had no time to flee before a sudden crash was heard.

The Cave Troll had broken through the barricade, taking with him a huge chunk of the doorway as well. Thor jumped back, startled at the sudden beast. It roared at them, spit flying everywhere. Chains around his neck danced as he moved, and his paper dry skin cracked as he moved. Distorted eyes glanced at them, taking them all in, before seeming to smirk at them before attacking. Aragorn and Boromir jumped out of the way of his charge, while Gimli did his best to hack at him.

All attacks on the Troll failed. Even the four Hobbits tried, but to no avail. Orcs joined in, though most of them stayed to watch the fight from the doorway. Thor himself attacked the Cave Troll, avoiding all Orcs and trying his best to put his focus on the biggest beast in there. The chains around the Troll's neck, which had once been used to guide him and control him, were now used as weapons by the beast. In his charges and attacks, he even took out some Orcs, not caring that they were his masters. Thor used this to his advantage; drawing the Troll's attention, getting it to charge at Thor in such a way that several Orcs would be taken out, before Thor slashed at the Orc's heels in an attempt to take it down.

Though the beast remained standing, only his anger fuelled each time someone tried to take him down.

Finally, the Troll seemed to realize what Thor was doing, which surprised the Dwarf tremendously as Trolls were not known for their intelligence. The three the Company of Thorin Oakenshield had once encountered had at least been able to talk – but this one seemed to have been kept dumb in order to keep it subdued and easy to control. Yet, it still figured out Thor's plan and eventually, instead of blindly charging, it charged and grabbed Thor, stopping midway and using its long arms to surprise Thor with a new tactic.

Aragorn noticed this, shouting at Legolas in elvish to fire at the Troll's hand in an attempt to make it let Thor go. However it did not work. The Troll squeezed, causing Thor to drop his mace. He gasped out, a crack following soon after followed by an immense pain in his chest. The Troll smirked at the sound of the crack, probably having felt the ribs break.

Much to Thor's surprise, and probably also the rest of the Company's surprise, the one who managed to save Thor from being squashed in the Troll's ginormous hand, was Frodo. He and Sam had been fighting back to back not too far away, and with his Hobbit feet, Frodo had managed to sneak up on the Troll, jumping up onto the Troll's hand and using Sting, Bilbo's old sword, to cut the Troll's wrist up. A little bit of black blood made it to Frodo's sword, but there was more pain than there was blood. The Troll let out a roar, dropping Thor in surprise who remained on the ground in agonizing pain, before the Troll flicked Frodo off of its hand.

The poor Hobbit landed in a corner, still wide awake but probably with an added headache. The Troll charged towards Frodo, leaving Thor's eyesight and what happened then, Thor was unsure of. He knew Pippin and Merry ran over to Thor to check on him, giving him his mace so he could defend himself, before the two ran off to continue fighting. He knew Boromir crouched down next to him, placing a hand on the Dwarf's cheek to check if he was awake and well, before he ran off as well.

Apart from that, he was unaware of what was happening to either Frodo or many others of the Company. Though he knew that drums were still on their way. They were getting closer and closer. The Orcs had already arrived, so unless there were more Orcs coming, those drums did not belong to them. It stirred more fear inside of the Dwarf, though at the moment he could only focus on the pain each breath caused, and the impending fact that Thor would have a hard time running if the need came.

Suddenly, the room went very quiet after an initial 'boom'. Dust and particles were thrown up in the air, and the Orcs all paused to watch what had happened. Painfully, Thor turned around where he was lying, seeing the Troll on the floor; dead. Legolas' arrows were everywhere in the Troll's skull, almost creating a wig, but Thor doubted those were what had killed the Troll. Merry and Pippin stood up on their feet, dusting off their clothes and looking immensely proud; Thor deduced they had helped.

Though there was no happiness about this. There was relief because the Orcs suddenly ran, retreated, but the Company showed no happiness. Thor noticed everyone running over to the corner where he had seen the Troll had thrown Frodo to, and he could only watch as the Company crouched around something, murmuring words. Sam looked distraught, but then his face turned in relief and pride. Aragorn lifted Frodo up to his feet, and the Company dispersed slightly to give the Hobbit some space.

Thor vaguely saw the sight of something glistening on Frodo's chest, underneath of his clothes. Only later did he realize that the Mithril chainmail Thorin Oakenshield had given to Bilbo Baggins, had saved Frodo's life.

Instead of focusing on the glistening sight, Thor turned his head towards the northern doorway. No Orcs were visible, but the drums continued, coming ever closer with each passing minute.

"Gandalf!?" called Thor, followed by a painful, wheezy intake of a breath.

Gandalf hurried over to the northern doors, listening to the drumming as well. With one hand on his chest, Thor used the outstretched hand of Boromir to heave himself up to his feet.

"Mahal…" cursed Thor at the pain in his chest, earning a worried look from Aragorn.

"We have to go. Now. Run!" The Wizard exclaimed, earning a sigh from Thor as he had dreaded that last word since his fall-out with the Troll.

Trying his best, but only getting to intake wheezy, worrying breaths, Thor followed the Company in running out through the Northern doors and following the Wizard down the large hall. His light was now the only light guiding them, all torches the Company had managed to make being broken in their previous fight.

For a few minutes they could run away from the drums undisturbed – but then the movements up above in the darkness returned to Thor's sight. This time, however, he was not the only one who saw them and the Company halted. Orcs were running down the large pillars, coming from somewhere up above them and circling them quickly. The Company placed themselves in a circle, back to back, their weapons facings the circling Orcs, and only Thor, Gandalf, Aragorn and Merry could see the Orc leader that approached from the crowd.

It glared at the light Gandalf's staff was giving off, before smirking, taking out a whip, preparing to start the attack on them and kill them. All seemed lost – they were surrounded. They would all die and the Orcs would get the Ring from Frodo's corpse, only to then give it to their leader, their master, and begin the destruction of Middle-earth.

However, something happened. The drums were suddenly extremely close. _Boom. Boom,_ they sounded. Gandalf's light was suddenly not needed anymore. From afar, in a corridor that existed there, a fiery, orange light appeared, illuminating the hall enough for them to see their surroundings. Gandalf kept his light on, of course, as he was too shocked – or perhaps too mortified – to do anything but stare. The Orcs turned, everyone at once. For a second or two they, along with the Company, seemed to hold their breath in fear and anticipation.

Then the drums sounded again and a large roar followed. This was no Cave Troll's roar however. This was a deeper roar. A roar that seemed to come from a thousand years of agonizing hatred and pain. A roar that seemed to come from a darkness beyond imagining.

The Orcs scrambled away after this roar, which only made the Company realize even more that this beast – or thing – was truly beyond their league. If even Orcs feared it… it was bad…

"What in Durin's name is that?" sighed Gimli, already tired of enemies.

"The Dwarves dug too deep." Gandalf's voice was low, menacing.

"Durin's Bane," gasped Thor.

"Swords cannot save us now, only daylight can. Run. RUN!"


	40. Chapter 40, Durin's Bane Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 40  
Durin's Bane Part 2  
**

* * *

 **Thor**

The hallways turned and twisted the further the Company ran. Behind them the drumming kept them going, no one even thinking about stopping for breath – apart from Thor who was completely done with running. His ribs ached and breathing was difficult. He was at the back, fighting to keep on running.

Whatever was following them was huge enough to tremble the stone staircases they ran over, and these staircases were so old they could barely even hold it together without these footsteps trembling them. At one point, the Company had to jump over a crack, as the staircase they were on was falling apart. Thor barely noticed this, being too busy with trying to breathe to even notice Aragorn tossing him and Gimli over the crack.

Before long, the Fellowship came by the end of the hall. They ran through a small doorway, which only took them into yet another, great hall. They had to stop as the hall's floors were gone, leaving behind an empty chasm that reached so far down there seemed to be no end to it. A bridge existed there, being so small and narrow they could only pass one at a time. It was made of stone, and seemed fragile. Yet as the footsteps and drumming approached, the fiery colours behind them getting nearer and nearer did not even make the bridge tremble. It was sturdier than any of those staircases they had ran down.

As Gandalf let the Company pass him by to go over the bridge before the Wizard, Thor realized what a great defence this bridge was. There was nowhere to hold onto in case you lost your balance, and if there was an enemy attacking, they could only cross the bridge in single file, giving the Dwarves plenty of time to prepare or shoot arrows at them all.

Unfortunately, the Orcs had realized that as well. They who had run from the creature chasing the Company at first, had returned in a small manner and were shooting arrows at the Fellowship from an opening in the wall far away from the bridge. Legolas took some of them out easily, and what was left was not much of a threat to them.

The Hobbits reached the other side first, having been allowed to cross first. When they turned around, standing behind a corner to shield themselves from the flying arrows, they saw the fire rise up higher in the doorway from whence they came. Gandalf, who had been staying put to watch for a while, turned and began running. When he reached the middle of the bridge, the entire Company had already crossed it.

To Thor's utter horror, the Wizard stopped at the centre of the bridge. He held a determined look on his face, one hand holding a sword and one hand holding his staff. Thor noticed Gandalf was staring straight at Aragorn, and only when Aragorn nodded his head ever so briefly, did the Wizard turn around to face the fire.

Staying put by the doorway to shield themselves from the arrows, the Company, apart from Legolas who was taking care of the Orcs, watched with wide eyes and with hearts beating worriedly, as a shadow appeared in the doorway. Amidst the fires, it indeed did seem like a shadow, and it took a while for Thor to realize that it was almost, only almost, a material figure that walked towards the bridge. It was big enough to crack the doorway on its way inside, and an immense heat flowed towards the Company as it roared at the Wizard.

"A Balrog of Morgoth!" exclaimed Legolas at the sight of it.

Thor could only describe it as a great beast not much unlike a dragon, with wings and a lizard like figure, however it walked on two feet and held a giant whip of fire in one hand. The fire seemed to both radiate off of him and burn towards him, as though he was both master of the orange flames but also tortured by it. Horns unlike any Thor had ever seen graced its shadowy face, fiery eyes of lava staring back at Gandalf.

It approached the bridge, testing it out with one foot, or hoof. The stone cracked slightly. It seemed to hesitate. But then it looked at Gandalf and made up its mind.

It was worth the risk.

"You cannot pass!" yelled Gandalf.

Arrows flew. Fire rose. Heatwaves touched the Company's faces.

"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor." His sword lit up with star like, white, light, and the beast that had stopped not too far away from Gandalf snorted like a cow. Perhaps it was intimidated, or perhaps it had laughed at Gandalf. It raised its whip, as though it was showing off his own weapons, yet Gandalf stood firm. "The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. You cannot pass!"

The Balrog cracked its whip towards Gandalf, though a white shield protected Gandalf. The creature grew angry by this, letting out a roar and creating a sword in its free hand out of the fire around him.

More heat was sent their way. Sweaty pearls glistened on their foreheads.

Thor tensed up, briefly forgetting his own pains, as he watched Gandalf lift his staff, "You shall not pass!" and with one, mighty smack towards the bridge in front of him, he made it crumble beneath the creature's feet.

It almost seemed to go in slow-motion. A moment of relief washed over the company as they watched the Balrog begin to fall. Then a moment of confusion as the creature cracked its whip one last time. And then a moment of joy as Gandalf, seemingly victorious, turned towards the Company, ready to move back and continue leading them.

Though the whip latched itself onto the Wizard's ankle, and the Company was overcome by utter terror as they watched Gandalf fall down, staff and sword tumbling over the edge along with his hat. The Wizard scrambled to hold onto something. He finally did, but was dangling dangerously from the edge. Frodo screamed out in fear and grief, but Gandalf was only staring at Thor.

A question was directed his way. Not verbally, but through the stare Gandalf gave him. However, it did not feel like a question directed towards Thor himself, but another part of him. Without him knowing why, without him being able to stop himself, Thor gently shook his head.

The question, Thor later realized, had been directed to whatever part of him could see the future. The question, he realized, had been whether it was worth the energy to scramble back up the edge.

When the question was answered by the one who could see the future, Gandalf made peace with his doom. He looked away from Thor and towards the rest of the Company, "Fly you fools."

And he let go.


	41. Chapter 41, Escapes and Grief

**A/N: Not my best effort at writing. I was a little off when I wrote this and I still am. But I feel like it's good enough for publishing. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 41  
Escapes and Grief  
**

* * *

 **Thor**

"NO!" Frodo's screams echoed against Thor's consciousness. A part of him knew he had been right, but the other part, the dominant part, felt guilty about having shook his head. He could have lied, right?

But would the lie have helped anyway? And what was it he would have lied about then? Why had he even shook his head to begin with? What had his unconscious mind seen?

All of these questions ran through his mind as the Company forced the grieving Hobbits to run on. Orcs were still after them after all and they had to get to sunlight in order to be safe again. Thor stayed close to Gimli, who seemed equally as shook as everyone else but kept a firm look on his face. Only his eyes told of the sorrow he felt. After all, Gimli had heard a lot about Gandalf from tales about the reclaim of the mountain. Had it not been for Gandalf, the Company of Thorin Oakenshield would never have been formed to begin with – nor would Bilbo have joined. Perhaps Dwarves would have tried to reclaim the mountain, but they would not have succeeded on their own.

There had not been a long way left to run, which only hurt the Company more knowing that Gandalf had been so close to safety. When they forced the doors open and sunlight hit the Company's faces, the grief set in ten times worse. The Orcs stayed put inside of the darkness of Moria and they were safe, but not all of them were.

The Company came to a halt a little while away from the mines. The Misty Mountains stretched far up above them, though the sun was positioned in such a way that there were no shadows. The warmth of the sun burned against Thor's skin as he sat down on a boulder, staring down at his own hands. Pippin and Merry grieved together. Sam sat on his own, and Frodo began to wander off, seemingly completely engulfed in grief.

Gimli came to sit next to Thor, causing him to look up. The Dwarf placed a hand on his prince's shoulder and with one simple look and one simple gesture, the two exchanged a 'I'm sorry for your loss'. They nodded at each other, not needing to say anything else, before diverting their attention to the others.

"We cannot stay here much longer. We need to move on," urged Aragorn. Legolas began to move around, helping the Hobbits, or rather forcing them, back up on their feet. "Frodo!"

The ringbearer stopped wandering away from the Company, turning around to reveal the complete and utter loss he was feeling inside. His blue eyes were not vibrant anymore, but filled with hopelessness. Thor knew Frodo and Gandalf were close, seeing as Bilbo and Gandalf were. The Wizard had always been there during the young Hobbit's life; his childhood, adolescence and the most part of his adulthood. Now the Wizard was gone.

Thor could not help but feel he was to blame. At least partially. Had the Balrog not been there, this would have never happened anyway. But now it had been there and Thor had _shook his head_ to say that Gandalf should not even try to get back up on the ledge. Who did such a thing?

"Come on." Aragorn had turned away from the grief of Frodo, helping Sam up to his feet. It was not until he walked over to Thor, helping him up to his feet, that Boromir spoke up.

"Let them grief, for pity's sake," he snapped, earning a serious look from Aragorn.

Thor was briefly aware of the power struggle between Boromir and Aragorn right then and there. It happened quickly. One look from Aragorn and Boromir already took a step back. When Aragorn then came with a good counterargument, one that Boromir had not thought about but which a leader would have thought about, it was settled who was going to lead the group from now on.

"When the sun moves behind the tips of the Misty Mountains, these fields will be swarming with Orcs. We cannot stay here."

When everyone was back on their feet, Aragorn began to move forwards, leading the Company away from the Mountains, away from Moria, and onwards on their journey towards Mordor. Thor doubted anyone would ever get over the death of Gandalf the grey.

* * *

 **Nàin**

Almost two days had passed, and as the Orc had predicted, rain clouds were now glooming over their heads. The air was moist around them as they walked through a small forest, and once they reached a clearing, tiny raindrops who could not wait anymore began to fall on their heads. Koglath glanced back at Nàin with a 'I told you so' look in his eyes. Nàin, swallowing her pride, simply nodded.

A part of her felt ready; ready for action, though a part of her was also terrified. Whatever happened, she would end up near Orcs. Albeit the currently imprisoned Orcs seemed to be somewhat more trustworthy than those who wanted to kill her, they were still _Orcs_. Orcs who also were hiding things from her. Why were they imprisoned? What had they done that was so awful that Orcs were imprisoning Orcs? After all, these creatures were horrendous. She imagined one would have to do something quite awful to be hated and locked up – or executed, Nàin was still unsure of what was going to happen to them – by **Orcs**. What if they would run away with her only to then kill her off? All they actually needed her for was to come up with a plan. No matter how civilized they seemed to pretend to be, they were still just Orcs and still had some difficulty thinking outside the box. Granted Nàin's plan was not grand, but it was more than the Orcs had had.

They continued through the forest, the splattering of raindrops began to become more obvious, and more regular, and before they knew it there was a full-on deluge. The Orcs leading them seemed not to care, continuing on even through mud. It was not until the deluge became so severe and the clouds got so dark that they could not see past ten feet in front of them, that Uldug, the leader, stopped. They talked for a bit before apparently deciding it was not worth moving onwards. Enemies could lurk in front of them without them knowing after all, and staying put was safer as they could patrol around the prisoners.

And patrolling they did. First they pinned their prisoners' chains down with some iron nails, just as before. Two large Orcs, whom Nàin really hoped she did not have to fight, used large hammers to do so before retreating back over to their leader. Five other Orcs, smaller in size though with bow and arrow on their backs, began patrolling around them, staring out into the deluge as best as they could. Nàin gathered these were the skilful archers Koglath had told her about.

Uldug himself stayed put near some fire, his two large Orcs standing by him. His back was towards the prisoners, and he seemed not to be paying them any notice. It was his poisoned whip which Nàin feared the most, and him not watching over them made her feel slightly more at ease with their upcoming escape.

Nàin glanced over at Koglath, who nodded his head. His Orcs saw the gesture, and when Nàin looked over at them, they nodded their heads at her. Slowly, so that nobody patrolling around them noticed, the Orcs twirled their chains around their wrists, tightening them, preparing to execute the beginning of their escape.

Koglath and Orcrar twirled her chains around their wrists as well. The ground might be soppy, wet and muddy, but those nails were huge and Nàin simply knew she could not get free on her own. The Orcs seemed to have realized this without her having to tell them so, which for some reason made her chest involuntarily warm up. She furrowed her brow at this, knowing these were Orcs, after all. She could **not** get attached.

Nàin watched the patrolling Orcs, noticing they did not constantly patrol in a perfect circle. From time to time there was a gap where no Orc was watching, and Nàin knew this was where they would have to sneak, or run, through. The difficulty seeing through the deluge was perfect, as they would be able to get away. 'Able' being the keyword. There were still many risks and things that could go wrong.

As one of these gaps appeared, Nàin gave the sign. The Orcs, quietly and without even grunting, pulled on their chains, loosening the nails from their spot in the muddy ground. Lifting the chains up and holding them as tightly as they could, the Orcs and Nàin stood up, turned and ran.

"GET THEM!"

Through the gap Koglath led them, and into the misty deluge they ran. They were still in a forest, and trees appeared in front of them suddenly from time to time as they ran, hindering them slightly from running as fast as they could. However, everything seemed to go fine. Steadily they moved away from the camp, and away from the imprisoners, and so far no arrows had even come near them.

In fact, it was eerily quiet behind them.

Running on, Nàin tried to forget the feeling of impending doom in her stomach. She tired to tell herself that they were getting away and that the silence was a good sign. Yes, it was odd nobody seemed to follow them, but so what? It just made it so much easier. Perhaps Nàin was not that important to Sauron after all –

Nàin's chain suddenly pulled on her wrists, re-opening old wounds again. Her arms were pulled down, almost dislocating her shoulders, and their run was put to an abrupt stop. In front of her, Koglath grunted as he fell to the ground, face first, while Nàin managed to catch her fall and land on her knees. Her pants probably ripped at certain places, but she did not care about that nor did she care about the mud she was now completely covered in from head to toe. What she did care about was the reason for why the chains had suddenly been pulled on, forcing them all to stop and fall.

It was once she turned her head to look behind her that she saw the reason. The others who were chained to them, the other Orcs, had all been pierced by arrows. Only Nàin and Koglath were still alive. Their dead bodies had fallen to the ground at the same time. Each body had a single arrow through the skull. Five bodies. Five arrows.

And indeed, the five archers that had been patrolling around them soon appeared through the misty deluge, their arrows pointed at the two of them. The leader with his two strong Orcs walked behind them, Uldug pushing past the archers violently and clearly angry.

"Naughty..." The leader pulled out his whip, and Nàin tried to move away from it, knowing it was poisoned, though the chains made it impossible.

The whip cracked through the air, something pierced the skin of her forehead before slapping her across her ear, deafening her. She fell to the ground, mud entering her wounds which made it hurt even more. Another crack was heard, though this time the whip did not touch her. Something behind her thudded; Koglath. Her world begun to wobble, and as the leader walked over to her, a strange nauseated feeling overcame her. Her body began twitching and hurting – the poison, she realized, had entered her bloodstream. Before she fell unconscious, the leader crouched down in front of her, smirking at her.

"We were told to bring you in alive... but He never said in what condition."

Laughter from his followers echoed through her one good ear. Darkness swallowed her conscious mind.


	42. Chapter 42, New Beginnings

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 42  
New Beginnings  
**

* * *

 **Thor**

Even though they were obviously grieving, especially the Hobbits, pushing onwards seemed to have helped the company a little bit. Keeping their minds on the mission ahead made them barely think of the loss of Gandalf at least, which in turn helped Thor cope with his actions as well. Each time he saw the Company's pain and sadness, he was reminded of what he had done; of his actions... It made Thor stay away from most members of the Fellowship, not wanting to see the grief and loss in their eyes as it hurt too much.

Aragorn obviously noticed Thor kept to himself, though seemed to think it was for the same reason as the Hobbits were quieter than usual, and so he gave Thor the space he needed. During the days Thor would stay behind the group, on his own and with his mind deeply worrying about, well, everything.

One day, when they were nearing a large forest Thor did not recognize at all, Boromir slowed down his pace to walk beside him. Boromir himself had been staying close to Aragorn, clearly intent on trying to interfere if Aragorn made a wrong move. If that happened and Boromir took initiative, he would become leader. At least that was what Thor imagined Boromir was assuming and thinking.

All of a sudden the man from Gondor left his 'post' to talk to Thor. Although they were friends, Thor doubted this talk was to make him feel better.

"I know what happened." His words caused Thor to widen his eyes, nearly freezing on the spot though still pushing onwards. He tried his best to not show any reaction to his words, though he knew he had already failed that.

"What?"

"I know what happened in the mines. I just wanted you to know. We'll talk about it soon." Boromir, not giving off any hint of a smile nor glare, nodded his head before speeding up again, returning to walk beside Aragorn. Legolas turned his head ever so slightly, his elf ears clearly having heard everything. As Boromir passed the elf, Thor thought he saw a mistrusting glare – the same one Frodo sometimes held for Boromir.

The poor man had really built a bad reputation for himself within the Company.

The Fellowship moved onwards, Aragorn leading them with brisk steps into the forest. Frodo turned towards Thor, who was walking behind the four Hobbits. Sam mirrored his master's movement, "Where are we?"

Honoured to have been chosen to answer the Hobbit's question, Thor looked around at his surroundings, trying his best to come up with an answer. He smiled, though didn't really recognize where he was. The trees reached up far into the sky and the ground was covered in untouched flora, but there were no hints of any people living anywhere. Besides, his heart hurt at the thought that Frodo and the Hobbits trusted him – he was the reason for why Gandalf had let go after all; he was the reason for their suffering – and his mind was therefore a little fogged when he tried to recognize the woods around him.

"I do not know…" he answered honestly, which gained the attention from Legolas.

"The woods of Lothlorien. This is the fairest woods of all. Home to my kind," he answered with a smile and a glint in his eyes.

"Elves…" spat Gimli, earning an amused look from Legolas. It was strange to see how far their friendship had come that not even this earned a glare from Legolas anymore, though it gladdened Thor. "Gather around Hobbits. This is dangerous lands…"

Thor rolled his eyes at Gimli, which Pippin saw. The young hobbit chuckled, and did as Gimli asked with an amused look in his eyes.

"These lands are kept secret by a great power. There is nothing evil here, master dwarf," countered Legolas. Boromir and Thor exchanged an amused look, while Aragorn walked onwards at a great pace, though he still joined in on the conversation.

"Perilous this road through Lothlorien may be, it is only perilous to great evil. Come now! Walk on."

Thor did not miss Frodo glance down at his chest, where the Ring no doubt still hung. Great evil that Ring was indeed… Thor wondered if it would serve as a problem for when they passed through the woods.

"A great sorceress lives in these woods then…" mumbled Gimli before looking back at the hobbits and Thor again, "Well, here's two dwarves they're not going to get to."

Clearly ready for a fight, Gimli continued moving on, "We have the ears of a fox and the eyes of a hawk. Nothing can sneak up on-" An arrow was pointed at him, causing him to stop talking and freezing on the spot. Several other arrows were suddenly pulled and pointed towards the rest of the Fellowship.

The Elves had snuck up on them.

"The dwarves breathe so loud we could have shot them in the dark." One Elf walked over to Aragorn, not having an arrow pointed at them. His men remained quiet, staring darkly at the Fellowship.

"We seek refuge from Orcs," said Aragorn calmly. "We seek not to cause you harm."

The elf seemed to see the honesty in Aragorn's eyes, for he nodded his head and gestured for his men to lower their bows. Still there was tension between the two groups.

"We know. We have been aware of your presence for some time. You have one of our Northern Kind with you. Legolas, son of Thranduil," the elf said, bowing his head in respect towards Legolas. "We know you mean us no harm. Yet, we cannot allow you to go further."

"Why not?" asked Aragorn. All around them was forest. They were probably already half way through the Lothlorien woods, and yet they were not allowed to continue?

The elf turned his eyes towards Frodo, "Because you carry great evil with you."

 **Nàin**

How much time had passed she was unsure of. All she knew was that she was once again weak. The first time it had been because of the pain and fatigue. Now it was because of poison. Kolgath, whom was the only imprisoned Orc still alive, forced water down her throat each time they stopped running, and carried her on his back again. He tried his best to nurse her back to health, but he was no healer. Besides, Nàin had lost hope…

Their escape had failed and now there were only two of them. Together they could not fight all of those Orcs. They were doomed to go to Mordor and face their end. She would never see Thor again. She would never see Mili and Nmori again. She would never see Aiwin an Thror again. She would never see Kili and Thorin again. She would never see Bombur, Bofur, Dwalin, Gloin, Bifur, Nori and Dori again. But the main thing that bothered her now was that she would never see Fili again. Of course she loved her children, but Fili was still her one true love. Nothing could make her love him less.

And she would never see him again.

Kolgath put her down on the ground. Both their hands were tied together now, chains wrapped around their wrists painfully to keep them from trying anything again and therefore Kolgath moved awkwardly when he placed her on the ground in a less than graceful way. The chains around their feet were still there as well, though they were less loose, granting them less freedom to move around. Kolgath grabbed the pouch from Nàin's belt, splattering water over her mouth. A few drops entered her system, though she turned her head away from the yellow eyed orc, making it harder for him to help her. The poison in her system made every movement she did with her head cause the entire world around her to spin, and her arms would not really do what she wanted either. Albeit she had given up hope, she still wished the poison would get out of her system soon so she could at least have some control over her own body while she died.

"Drink," ordered Kolgath. Nàin glared at him which caused him to let out an annoyed sigh. "Drink."

"I don't even know you. Why should I listen to you?" she spat. "Who knows what you've done to get into these chains."

"Did you do something bad to get into these chains?" spat Kolgath back at her. "No. So shut up. Drink."

Nàin turned her face away from him again, though Kolgath had a plan. He slapped her cheek, causing her to gasp out in pain. As she did, Kolgath let some water fill her mouth. She nearly choked, but it was an effective way to get water down her throat.

Coughing and splattering, she glared over at Kolgath. "Good," he said with an amused look in his eyes.

She let out a dwarvish curse, turning her face away from him again while he re-attached the water pouch to her belt. Then he sat down next to her and took out his own pouch. Some of the nasty liquid inside spilled out over his chin, making Nàin frown.

"You're a prison of war." He began to talk, though Nàin tried her best not to care. "I'm a prison of… hope."

"Hope's overrated…" mumbled Nàin, though his orc ears would have heard her loud and clear.

"Not every orc wants to fight." Curiosity appeared inside of Nàin, though she wanted to hold onto her bitterness and hopelessness, so she remained faced away from him. "We are called cowards. But we can fight. We just don't fight for the dark lord. We fled. To your land. North of it."

The Orcs in the forest north of Erebor… he was one of them? Perhaps even the leader? Memories of her first encounter with them came to her mind, when she had gone out to pee in the bushes but had ended up _talking_ to Orcs. One of them had had yellow eyes… perhaps that had been Kolgath as well. It was a long time ago and she had been more focused on surviving than anything else.

Then the words of those Orcs came to her mind, _"Leave_ us _alone."_

"You were trying to build a community…" she whispered, letting her curiosity take the better of her.

"If that is what you call it, yes. Community. Where orcs did not have to die for death or the dark lord."

"That's weird." Nàin glanced at Kolgath, who looked away from her at her words. "I've never heard of orcs even thinking like that."

"You only see us in battle."

"Those Orcs that we had on our land, with the white hand… they were looking for you?"

"For deserters, yes. Now they have us. Of me they will make an example; Orcs are not bred to think about anything but power and service to the dark lord. Those who are different are killed."

It was all very strange. To be honest she had never thought of orcs as anything but filthy creatures that lived to kill. She told Kolgath this, who looked anything but offended.

"There are orcs who stay away from battles. Blacksmiths. Butchers. But they are still supposed to serve the dark lord. I was a butcher, never to kill on the battle field. But I was supposed to follow orders I did not like. And I wanted a change."

"That's… strangely honourable." Kolgath scoffed at her words.

There was a pause in their conversation, then Kolgath let out a sigh, "You have given up hope."

"I'm not returning to Erebor. No. I see that now…"

"I have failed to make a change. I have lost hope too."

"Is it me, or are we bonding?" Nàin glanced over at Kolgath who remained silent. "I promised myself not to do this. Not to get attached to an orc. In fact, I promised my husband not to think of orcs in a different way than what they – you - constantly showed us. But you're showing… honour. Respect. We might not get out… but at least we don't have to get dragged to our deaths alone."

"What is this called?" he asked suddenly, causing Nàin for furrow her brow.

For a long time she remained silent, thinking about what to answer him and what to say to his rather strange question. Then it hit her…

"It's called friendship."

Kolgath glanced at her, his nostrils flaring as he repeated the word 'friendship' with his mouth, mispronouncing it slightly.

"I like it."

Nàin smiled at the orc before letting out a sigh, "At least we made new friends before our deaths."

"We… we could make our deaths mean something."

Nàin chuckled, quickly frowning as a wave of nausea hit her afterwards, "What do you mean?"

"They're taking us to Barad-dûr. It's the heart of the Dark Lord's work."

"Mahal are you suggesting we sabotage that dark tower? If it's the heart of the Dark Lord's work it'll be crawling with orcs and other filth!"

"Quiet," spat Kolgath. The two quickly glanced at their capturers, who had paid no heath to her sudden exclamation of surprise. "Nobody else is going to fight this. I know the Dark Lord is working quietly, through the shadows. Perhaps some in Middle-earth have sensed something, maybe the elves… but…"

"You think he's going to win?"

There would never come a day when Nàin would tell Kolgath or anyone else for that matter that her son and a group of able warriors, hobbits and a wizard were on their way to Mordor to destroy the one thing that was keeping the dark lord 'alive'. Never. But, However, Nàin did know that their mission was dangerous, difficult and tremendously impossible if Mordor was completely riddled with orcs and other filth. A distraction would be… smart. Inside people would be a good idea.

Well, it would be just Nàin who were to be the inside person, but still…

"I think nothing. I **know**. He's kept alive through…" he suddenly turned quiet, and Nàin looked at him. Apparently, he too was hesitant to talk about it, even though he was not loyal to Sauron anymore. "Through means impossible to destroy." Nàin could not help but smirk at that sentence. If only they knew. "He will win one way or another. But we can… hurt him a little bit as we go out."

"How?"

"By destroying the dark tower and causing havoc amongst the orcs."

"But why would you do this to your own kin?"

"The same kin who want do kill me and use me as an example of what happens to _my kin_ if they think on their own?"

"Alright, alright... I get it..." she sighed before smirking, "You're thinking we bomb it."

"I'm thinking just that."

She nodded her head. She was still hopeless and set on dying, which was something she was going to do once they arrived to Barad-dûr or if she continued neglecting taking care of herself. Either way she was going to die. So, why not die for a good cause? Why not die to help Frodo and his mission?

"Why not?" she said with a smile.


	43. Chapter 43, Lothlorien

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 43  
Lothlorien**

* * *

 **Thor**

Although they seemed tremendously angsty about the Fellowship walking in their forest, the elves finally did bring them to a safe place; a clearing overlooking what seemed to be the beginning of a path made out of silvery rocks. It followed a stream, called 'Silverlode' by Legolas, before disappearing into a thicker part of the forest.

"Albeit this is shelter, we would feel much safer inside of your borders," pressed Aragorn.

The leading elf, who had by now introduced himself as Haldir, pressed his lips together in displeasure, "I have already told you, friend, that I cannot allow this great evil to pass through our home."

"This great evil will do you no evil. It is carried, but not worn." Boromir tensed, glancing over at Frodo and in protectiveness, Thor shifted to stand between the two.

"And you have two dwarves. That is not well either. We have had no dealings with the dwarves since the Dark Ages. They are not permitted in our land. I cannot allow you to enter." Thor rolled his eyes, while Gimli grumbled a few unkind words in khuzdul.

"They are from the Lonely Mountain. Two of Fili's most trustworthy people…" And from there on, Aragorn and Haldir continued to talk in elvish. Legolas listened intently, not revealing anything of what they were saying to the rest of the company. From time to time, Aragorn gestured towards the Company as he argued with Haldir, but the elf seemed intent on following the rules.

"This is ridiculous… we are wasting time. Time that would not have been wasted had we taken my route…" Boromir grumbled.

Sam, Merry and Pippin had sat down to eat something, while Frodo remained standing next to Thor, staring at the two bickering people. He seemed to feel guilty, remorseful. Boromir was angry, Gimli was angry…

And Thor was beginning to get annoyed that this was tearing the Company apart again. Most of all, however, Thor was annoyed that the distractions from his own grief and hatred for himself were dragging on and on. He just wanted to let it all out; to feel bad about himself for a few hours without there being any distractions. He just wanted to let his emotions out.

Huffing out a breath of air, Thor suddenly walked up to Aragorn and Haldir. For the first time in his life, he took use of his title as heir of Erebor and as odd as it felt, it needed to be done. By Durin's beard it was all taking too long. Everyone was pissed and the sun was setting; orcs would soon arrive to their destination if they did not get to safety soon.

Aragorn tried to tell Thor he was handling things, but Thor ignored him and looked straight up at Haldir, "Let us in. I demand an audience with… the lady."

Thor remembered the time he had used his knowledge of elves to save his mother; knowledge given to him by Ori, bless him. Thor had been so young and naïve back then… and yet she had come to help him. He was not afraid of her as certain others seemed to be, and demanding to see her was therefore not what made him shiver at his own words. It was simply the fact that he was acting as a prince that made him shiver in disgust.

Haldir let out a breath of air, seeming offended a dwarf would ask such a thing, "And who are you to ask this?"

"I am Thornoid, son of Fili, son of Durin. Heir to the throne of Erebor."

"Thornoid…?" Haldir's eyes suddenly glanced back at something invisible. He seemed to listen to something, before suddenly nodding his head.

Sam, Pippin and Merry perked up at the nod of Haldir's head, as did the rest of the Fellowship. Aragorn just looked amused.

"Follow me." Haldir's voice was slightly annoyed, but whether that was directed towards the dwarf in front of him or his wasted time, Thor was unsure of.

He looked back at Boromir and Frodo, smirking at his success. It had taken Aragorn two hours to bicker, without results, and Thor had just had to say four sentences. Of course he was proud.

Frodo smiled back. Gimli let out a cheer.

For some time, they followed the silvery path through the forest. The stream to their left; the Silverlode, was quietly making soothing noises as the water dripped over stones. The Company had dipped their hands in the stream to clean themselves off quickly before following Haldir onwards. Since Moria, the Fellowship had not had any time to freshen up or refill their water pouches. When Thor cleaned his face, a black mist entered the stream, making him frown at how dirty he must have been.

It took a while, and the night had almost fallen already once they did arrive in the elven city of Lothlorien. And it was a sight to behold.

The city was not on the ground, but up in the trees. These trees were even taller than those in the remaining forest, and their trunks were immensely wide and thick; strong enough to indeed hold the houses, paths and bridges the elves had built. Haldir led them up one tree in particular; the biggest tree and the one that seemed to stand in the centre of the city. A staircase spiralled up along the trunk, and Thor felt dizzy after a while.

They arrived at a balcony half-way up. The staircase did continue even higher up, but Haldir took them towards the balcony. Stars could be seen high up past the tree tops, and there was a beautiful view from the balcony itself, though Thor did not get to see it properly as two figures were stood there.

They turned around majestically, and Haldir ushered Thor forwards; after all, he was the one who had asked an audience with the Lady. Yet, still, Aragorn also took a few steps forwards, which Thor appreciated.

As the elves turned to look at them, there seemed to be a bright light surrounding them, making them look fairer, paler and more beautiful than they would have done otherwise. Their skin looked soft as cotton and as they took a few steps towards their guests, their steps were so silent and graceful that it seemed as though they were even walking on cotton, or flotaing.

Aragorn bowed down, as did Thor. However, Thor kept his eyes on the Lady. Her face had not aged at all, and he recognized her as well as she recognized him. A smile graced her lips, and Thor was suddenly brought back to his mother's bedroom and the light the Lady had helped Nàin with.

 _"You come to visit us, prince Thor. Many years have passed since our last meeting."_

Her voice was once more in his head, and he bowed his head this time in a faint nod.

"Welcome to the city of Galahdrim," spoke the male elf, lifting his hands up in a greeting. Aragorn and Thor stood back up. "I am Lord Celeborn and this is Lady Galadriel. We welcome you to our home to stay and rest for a little while. Lord Elrond told us of your Fellowship. Eight there are here now, but nine were to set out. So said the messages. Has there been some change of counsel that we have not heard?"

"Nay, no change of counsel," said Galadriel, her smile suddenly gone and vanished. "Gandalf the Grey set out with this Company, but he did not pass our borders."

"Tell me where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him," said Lord Celeborn.

Their golden hair twinkled in the light as Thor took a step forwards, his eyes on Galadriel. With a heavy heart he said, "He is gone. Fell in the depths of Moria…"

"These are evil tidings…" Celeborn continued to speak to the Company, as did Galadriel from time to time. Aragorn answered, Thor figured, or maybe someone else from the Company, but Thor did quite honestly not know. His grief took him over once more, and Galadriel picked up on it.

 _"Your heart weighs the most guilt and grief. You believe this to be your fault."_

Thor looked up at Galadriel, unsure of whether he should answer aloud or in his mind, though the answer had already passed by his mind and Galadriel gave him a swift, sympathetic look.

 _"With the power of sight comes great grief and great responsibilities."_ Another answer flashed by in his mind. _"You knew what you were telling him. Sooner rather than later, you will see this and your grief will pass."_

Thor was confused, but Aragorn was tugging at his shoulder for them to leave.


	44. Chapter 44, Dark Thoughts

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 44  
Dark Thoughts**

* * *

 **Thor**

Thor removed himself from the Company that night. He had his bed where the others had, of course, but he needed some time on his own to process everything that had happened. When they called for supper, he remained seated behind a large trunk, staying on his own. He had not even cleaned himself up yet, as the rest of the Fellowship had.

Sitting there, on his own, he finally had the time to simply _think_. His head swivelled with the memories of the Balrog, Gandalf stopping at the centre of the bridge, Gandalf falling… And the strange feeling that had overcome Thor where he had not been in control of his own actions; where he had nodded for Gandalf to let go of the edge and fall down to his death…

Frodo's scream echoed through his mind, keeping Thor from thinking clearly about _why_ he had done that. The tears on Sam's cheeks made Thor close his eyes, annoyed he could not think straight. He had planned for him to finally understand his actions, but just could not.

In an act of frustration, Thor threw the one thing closest to him; his mother's dagger. It landed right by the edge of the platform the Company had been led to, dangling there dangerously. His gut dropped… he had not really meant for him to throw away the one thing he had left of home apart from his battle mace and clothes; the one thing he had left of his mother who was out there, according to his visions, somewhere with _orcs_.

Yet, he could not be bothered to stand up and get the dagger back.

Instead, someone else did that for him.

Boromir sat down next to Thor, leaning against the trunk as well with a sigh. He held the dagger in his hands, inspecting it for a while in silence. Thor was not really in the mood to talk, still wanting to be on his own.

Voices from the rest of the Fellowship could be heard talking somewhere behind them. Other voices, those of the elves, were singing all around them in the surrounding trees. A sad tune, it seemed, though Thor did not understand elvish.

"Did she speak to you too? In your head?" Boromir finally broke the silence between them with a strange question; at least, it would have been strange had Thor's answer not been 'yes'. "She spoke of my father."

They stared out over the edge, towards the borders of Lothlorien. Thor remained silent, but not because he did not want to speak anymore, but because he was waiting for Boromir to continue talking. He sounded woeful, and Thor felt the obligation to listen.

"And… the fall of Gondor."

From all their time together, Thor had gathered that Boromir was quite proud of Gondor and cared for his city a lot. Whether this was because he cared for his father, the Steward or Gondor, or because he cared for the people… Thor had yet to figure out.

"She spoke of there being hope, but I cannot see it. It's been some time since we had _hope_."

"Because of Mordor."

"Because of Mordor," repeated Boromir.

"You think your father will use the Ring to protect Gondor, don't you?" asked Thor quietly. "That Ring corrupts everything it touches. It corrupted my mother when she touched it just the once. Hurt her. The Lady spoke to me as well, about this moment. After all, she was the one who had helped the Queen back then."

"You never said so to Elrond." A third voice appeared, and Aragorn suddenly appeared next to them, standing there with a monotone look on his face.

"He knew, I think," mumbled Thor.

Boromir shifted his arm, handing Thor the dagger back. Thor took it hesitantly.

"What happened down in Moria?" asked Boromir.

"W-What?"

"When we were preparing to sleep and you seemed to freeze solid and… cry?"

Thor almost let out a relieved breath. The others had not seen him and Gandalf communicate. All Boromir had been curious about had been that one moment when Thor had a vision of his mother… nothing more.

"I saw something."

"What? In the shadows?" asked Boromir.

Aragorn stepped in, placing himself on the trunk the two were leaning against, "No, Boromir. He is a Seer. Sensitive."

There was a short silence before Boromir spoke up. That silence nearly caused Thor to have a heart attack. He was so worried he would be shunned from the group if they knew… "I have never heard of a dwarven Seer."

"Well, now you have."

"It's a burden," deduced Boromir and Thor simply nodded.

"A burden I wish not to talk about."

Boromir simply smiled and Thor knew he would never be able to express how grateful he was that Boromir simply accepted it, not asking questions or blaming Thor for not seeing what happened to Gandalf so they could stop it. After all, that's not how it worked. Perhaps Boromir knew that.

"I think the two of you should get some rest."

"I can get no rest here." Aragorn remained quiet at Boromir's reply, before glancing at Thor, who simply shook his head. He then left the two alone. "You truly believe the Ring cannot help Gondor?"

"No."

"My father still wants it. He's probably waiting."

Thor glanced at Boromir, "But you know what it can do. You cannot bring it to him."

"Yet, I still feel I need to. Or I'll face the wrath of my father. And believe me, he can be wrathful."

"Boromir, do not feel like that. My father wants me to be king someday, but I will never. I will do everything in my power to avoid that responsibility. You can avoid it too. You are your own man."

Although Boromir nodded his head, Thor knew he had not gotten through. Perhaps this would be the death of him… his constant need to perform well for his father, though Thor did not know. Seer or Sensitive – whatever he might be, he did not know everything. Only those things this 'gift' or 'curse' wanted him to know did he see.

The two remained silently staring out at the borders the rest of the evening until the sad song of the elves stopped and silence overtook the city. Starlight shone down on them, and before Thor knew it, Boromir had actually fallen asleep. The poor man was probably beyond tired from all the latest incidents and no matter how much he tried to stay awake, he just could not.

Perhaps their talk had eased his worry a little bit as well.

Thor, on the other hand, did not find rest. Probably because they were propped up against a trunk very uncomfortably. But there was also the feeling of someone watching him, listening to his heartbeat… someone standing behind them.

Leaves rustled from behind the trunk and Thor, his hand on his mother's dagger, stood up.

The lady Galadriel stood there, smiling at him. The rest of the Fellowship was asleep in their beds. Gimli was snoring loudly. Frodo turned around, but his eyes were open. He watched Galadriel and Thor but made no move to follow as the Lady gestured for Thor to come with her.

He took her to an overlook; a balcony of sorts among the treetops, overlooking the elven kingdom. Whatever magic was at play around them soothed Thor, making the edges of his worries dissipate and calm him down. As the treetops swayed, he himself almost wanted to sway with them. Galadriel in all her glory stood beside him, her face turned towards the view but her eyes constantly glancing towards him.

"I knew of your potential the moment that black raven came for me. No dwarf had sent a message to the elves in many years, and suddenly you did. A little boy, afraid of what he saw residing in his mother."

The magic around him made Thor not feel uncomfortable as she spoke about this. Those memories were usually clouded with fear and were often the cause for nightmares, but not now. Now, he could just listen to her and take in her words as though they were law.

"But I didn't come to help you because of your letter." Her voice was low, deep almost as a man's. "I came for your powers. To see the future without a physical mediator is incredible. There are not many of you left. It will guide you but also hinder you. Don't let it do so."

"The others-"

"Will accept you," she said, her voice now normal and sweet again. She smiled down at him, "Gandalf's death is not on you. Whatever force you inhibit knew of his destiny, and Mithrandir knew this and sought its guidance. Do not fret, Thornoid, what the future has in stall. All things must end."

Her words confused him, and as Thor turned his head to ask what she meant, he found she was gone. He turned around on the spot, looking for the fair lady, but did not find her anywhere on the overlook. A little baffled, Thor left the overlook, Galadriel's words echoing in his memory.

He passed the sleeping Fellowship by and returned to his spot by Boromir, who had not noticed he had been gone and was still sleeping soundly. Thor watched the troubled man for a little while, the peaceful look on his face making Thor himself drowsy with sleep too. A sense of dread washed over Thor as he watched the man, who had strangely enough become a dear friend of his albeit his proud manner and dark thoughts on the Ring. Galadriel's final words echoed sharply against his cranium as he watched Boromir; 'All things must end.'


	45. Chapter 45, On the Path to Mordor

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.

 **Chapter 45  
On the Path to Mordor  
**

* * *

 **Thor**

The Fellowship was all gathered for breakfast, the elves offering a beautiful buffet of everything they could imagine – apart from anything meaty. Legolas had, for perhaps one of the first times since Thor had met the elf, shown pure joy. He was delighted to eat the food of his people, and the smile did not disappear even slightly while they were leaving Lothlorien.

Boats were prepared for them, and as they stood on the riverbank, bidding Haldir goodbye, Galadriel herself came and bid them goodbye as well. The Fellowship had all been provided with a hood and cloak each, all made especially for each member. They were the colour grey, but they seemed to shift into a dark green one from time to time as well, depending on the way the light was cast. The new clothes were lighter than a feather, and the elves told them they would serve them well when keeping out the cold of the nights to come. Each cloak was fastened around the neck with a greenish brooch shaped like a leaf.

Galadriel herself came with gifts as well, personalized for each member. Thor watched as she gave Legolas a new bow; Aragorn a sheath for his sword, beautifully decorated, "The sword drawn from this sheath shall not be stained or broken even in defeat." Aragorn accepted the gift with a bow of his head.

Without a word, and without Boromir daring to look up at the lady's face, Galadriel handed Boromir a golden belt. He took it from her, bowing his head at her even without eye contact. Thor saw the lady smile wildly, not caring for Boromir's fear or rudeness.

To Merry and Pippin she handed two silvery belts, with a beautiful clasp shaped like a golden flower. There were two small daggers attached to the belts, which they loved and immediately unsheathed to inspect closer. While Thor thought dwarven craftmanship was beautiful, he could not deny the standard of elven craftmanship was something his people could never live up to.

To Sam she gave some rope along with a wooden little box that fit into Sam's hand. There was a small silvery rune on the lid of the box, and Sam thanked the lady kindly. The moment she moved away from him, Sam began inspecting the box timidly, wondering what he could use it for. Thor noticed that there inside was a little bit of earth, which Sam blinked at a few times, wondering what to do with it.

"What gift would a dwarf ask of the elves?" asked Galadriel, smiling kindly down at Gimli. Upon asking, Gimli stuttered out his admiration of her, and asked for a single hair from her golden head. Willingly, she gave him three.

She then turned towards the last two members of the Fellowship, Frodo and Thor. "To you, Frodo, I give the light of Eärendil's star." A small phial filled with a see-through liquid was handed to Frodo, who took it from her with a bow of gratitude. "May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out."

She lastly turned her eyes to Thor, who smiled back at her, "I need nothing, my lady. I have the memories to cherish."

"Which might be the case," she replied, "but I want to give you something as well." To Thor she handed a long necklace, the chain a braid of gold strings and the locket a circle piece of gold, in the middle a red ruby reflecting the sunlight into cascades of red nuances. "Whenever you feel alone and in need of a glimpse of your home, this ruby will guide you."

Albeit he felt a bit confused by this, he accepted her gift and thought he would figure it out when the time came. Galadriel just nodded her head and stepped away from the Fellowship, bidding them one last farewell before they entered the little boats.

Aragorn, Frodo and Sam were in one boat. Legolas, Gimli and Thor were in one. And Boromir, Merry and Pippin were in the last boat. Each boat carried a load of their packing and, together, the three boats moved down the river, away from Lothlorien and towards the remainder of their path to Mordor.

 **Nàin**

In the distance, Nàin could see a strange fog hanging over a distant piece of land. She, Koglath and their imprisoners were heading up a steep hill that carried them up high enough so they could have a nice view of the surrounding land. This fog was to their right. Straight ahead of them something else hung above a distant piece of land; dark clouds that either were formed by something dark coming from the land, or the clouds were casting darkness down over the land.

Mordor…

"What is that?" she asked quietly to the Orc she was chained to, gesturing towards the fog in the distance.

"The Dead Marshes. Foul place. Orcs tend to stay away from it," Koglath replied.

"And that's…"

"Our destination," replied Uldug, glaring back at Nàin and Koglath. "Anymore funny tricks from you, and you might not ever see the beauties of Mordor with your own eyes. Now, shut up."

He held a dagger in his hand as he said this, menacingly looking at both his prisoners before barking at his orcs to keep moving on. Death was something the orc could not threaten her with as apparently the dark lord wanted something from her, but she knew that he could threaten her as much as he wanted with removal of limbs. It was unpleasant to say the least.

Nàin glanced over at Koglath. The two were going to fight the darkness from inside… it was a scary thing to do and it would result in her death, no doubt about that, but it would be worth it. One last fight for the freedom of her people.

One last fight as the queen of Erebor.

Something caught her attention to their left. Far off in the distance a cloud of darkness was following what seemed to be an army. Her heart dropped as she realized, upon staring at the army for a long time, that they were headed to where they had come from.

"Wh-Where are they going?" asked Nàin.

Koglath shrugged, but Uldug replied. He looked more than pleased to do so as well, knowing the answer would pain his prisoner.

"They are headed for the Iron Hills. After that they'll go to Erebor and the city of Dale. The war has begun. The fight for Middle-earth… and the orcs will win."

"Fili…" breathed Nàin, tears in her eyes.

Now more than ever was she determined to get these bastards where it hurt the most. Now more than ever was she determined to do as much damage as she could in Mordor.

They would pay dearly if they hurt her family in any way.


End file.
